Take it Back
by poprika
Summary: Neji and Sasuke were sent on a mission six months ago. Now, they're back, but something's off. They're keeping secrets and Sasuke's eyes are blank. What happened and what will it take for those secrets to be revealed? NejiSasu
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

"_Tsunade has a mission for you."_

Fate… such a powerful thing.

I like to think that we choose our own destiny, that we pave our own path and pick our own fate. I like to believe that someone can take their life and turn it around, that one choice can make a difference.

But I can't help but think that fate was there that day. The day where all of this began.

Somehow, by some miniscule chance, we were paired up for that mission. Somehow, out of everyone else that could have gone, it was us. And for that, I'm thankful because out of all the ninjas that could have accompanied me, I am glad that it was him. Anybody else… and it would have changed everything. We might not have come back at all.

Even so, it was not easy.

"_How long?"_

"_No more than six months."_

Six months. Six, endless months. Yes, it didn't take us any longer than that. It wasn't supposed to. We were supposed to go in, get the target, and get out. Simple.

Yeah, right. The mission was anything _but_ simple.

Everything went wrong.

* * *

He stopped suddenly, his worn sandals skidding in the dirt. He didn't seem to notice as his companion stumbled to a halt behind him, inches short of colliding. 

"Give me some warning next time." The other growled.

But he ignored his partner, his ivory eyes locked on the wall towering over them, its long shadow covering them in a dark shade.

His companion shifted impatiently.

"Neji?"

The one in question let out a long sigh and allowed a small, relieved smile to grace his lips.

"Sasuke…. We're home."

**TBC

* * *

**

Alright, I've finally got off my butt and started to write this story. I'll try to update it as much as I can, okay? I hope you guys enjoy it!

Disclaimer: I don't own anything.


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

Sasuke made sure to keep close to Neji as they walked through Konoha's tall gates. As they entered, he didn't see the two ninjas who guarded the entrance to the Hidden Leaf Village, nor did he notice as they gave each other a silent look.

He did hear them, though, when they exchanged quiet whispers and his brow furrowed as he heard one of them disappear in a puff of smoke.

Neji ignored the two ninjas at the gate eyeing him and Sasuke wearily and continued walking forward, his head held high and proudly even though his body felt as though it would collapse. His muscles ached in protest with every movement he made and with every step, he was reminded of every single one of the wounds marring his body, cuts stretching and bleeding, bruises dully throbbing.

The Hyuuga sighed and glanced back over his shoulder at his silent companion.

"You okay?" he asked.

Sasuke's head lifted slightly at the question, showing that he heard it, but he didn't bother answering. Not like Neji expected one in the first place; it was a silly question, really. They both looked like hell.

Sasuke's already pale skin was ghostly white and there was an ugly purple bruise forming on his left cheek, just one of his many injuries. They younger teen's feet dragged as he walked, but his dark eyes looked straight ahead, never moving.

Neji sighed again. What they needed most now was a long, hot shower and a comfy bed.

The Hyuuga's white eyes narrowed as a ninja appeared in front of them in a blast of air. It was one of Tsunade's messenger boys. Neji raised a fine brow and came to a stop.

Sasuke growled as he nearly bumped into the older a second time. The Uchiha was about to snap at the Hyuuga for stopping _again_ without warning him when he finally noticed the other ninja standing before them. Sasuke's mouth snapped shut and he gritted his teeth together in frustration. Why was he so slow today? Was he really that out of it?

The messenger bowed deep.

"Tsunade would like to see you." He said.

Sasuke heard Neji sigh. He was doing that a lot lately. He must be tired; they both were.

The Uchiha turned to Tsunade's ninja and glared.

"Does it have to be now?" he growled. "We just got back, you know."

The ninja nodded.

"Yes, but you have been gone for six months and she would very much like to speak with you."

Sasuke scowled, but his angry retort was cut off by his companion.

"Let's just get this over and done with, Sasuke." Neji said, turning to face the shorter one.

The Uchiha looked up through long bangs, and though his black eyes didn't meet Neji's white ones, the older could see the fatigue and worry written in their depths.

"But what are we going to say?" Sasuke whispered, as to not let the messenger hear.

Neji shook his head, his long brown hair falling over his shoulders.

"I don't know." He admitted.

Sasuke frowned, pressing his lips together in a straight line.

"We can't tell her. We can't. If they found out-"

Neji placed a heavy hand on the younger one's shoulder.

"We don't have to tell her anything if you don't want us to." He said gently, letting his pale fingers move to brush over the other's uninjured cheek.

Sasuke closed his eyes and leaned into the touch ever so slightly.

"Not yet… One day… But not yet." He said quietly.

Neji nodded and slowly drew his hand back, hesitant, as if he didn't want to let go. His pale eyes caught the curious messenger's gaze and narrowed.

"Tell her that we will be there shortly."

* * *

Tsunade groaned and let her head fall heavily onto her desk. There was just too much work to do, too many papers to fill out and sign. Who said being the Hokage was an easy task? 

The blond woman sighed and straightened, brushing her long hair back over her shoulder. She eyed the papers strewn across her desk with a scowl. Too much to do and no sake to make the time go by faster.

The Hokage ran a hand through her hair as she heard footsteps approaching her office. Her brown eyes rose to glare at the door. And as if she didn't have enough work already….

The wooden door was pushed open slightly and a head poked in through the small gap.

"Tsunade-sama?"

"What is it, Shizune?"

The younger ninja smiled.

"Sasuke and Neji are here to see you."

Tsunade sighed again and rubbed her temples. "Send them in."

Moments later, the two young ninjas entered, closing the door softly behind them. Tsunade watched with hard, calculating eyes as they stood before her.

"How did it go?" she asked after seconds of silence. She searched their faces for any clue, but both teens were unreadable, their features set in indifferent masks. The Hokage's brown gaze landed on the dark bruise on the Uchiha's cheek. She tsked in annoyance.

Finally, Neji answered.

"The mission was successful."

Tsunade shook her head.

"It took longer than expected." She noted.

Neji's white eyes shifted slightly to cast a quick glance at his partner, but Sasuke simply stood there, staring determinedly in front of him.

Tsunade's eyes narrowed.

"Well?" she said impatiently. "What happened?"

Neji sighed. It looked like Sasuke was leaving explaining up to him, but what was he going to say? The Uchiha didn't want them to reveal anything yet, so what was he supposed to tell Tsunade? He didn't want to lie, that would only come back to slap him in the face later. He hated to sound like Shikamaru, but this was going to be troublesome.

The Hyuuga faced his Hokage once again.

"We ran into a little trouble on the way back." It wasn't a lie; it just wasn't the whole truth.

Even so, Tsunade didn't look convinced.

"I take it that you took care of this… trouble?" she asked.

Neji nodded.

Tsunade waited, then shook her head she realized that Neji wasn't planning on explaining. It looked as if that was all she was going to get out of them today. The Sannin knew that there was something else that they weren't telling her, but she would just have to figure it out by herself… Maybe with a little outside help too.

"Alright then," Tsunade finally said. "I want a full report of the mission by Friday. It's Tuesday now so you have three days to get it to me. You can take the rest of the week off as well."

"Yes, Hokage-sama." Neji bowed and after a second, Sasuke did too.

Tsunade watched them with critical eyes and after a second's thought she came to a decision.

"From both of you."

The two ninjas froze and Tsunade noted this reaction with interest.

"Hokage-sama?" Neji was frowning.

The blond woman leant back in her chair, folding her arms across her chest.

"That's right; I want both of you to write a report. And before you ask me why," She glared at the Hyuuga, who had opened his mouth to do just that. "I want to be able to read this mission from both points of view. It was _supposed_ to be easy, but still it took you right up until the deadline to finish it." When neither of them answered, the Hokage growled. "Is there a problem?"

Neji gritted his teeth. This wasn't going to work. What were they going to do…?

A slight pressure on his arm jerked the long haired ninja out of his inner turmoil and he turned to face his silent partner.

Sasuke gave Neji's arm another squeeze and turned to Tsunade.

"There's no problem, Hokage-sama. We'll have the reports to you by Friday." And with that, the Uchiha bowed and headed for the door, pulling a hesitant Hyuuga behind him.

Soon, they were out the door and closing it quietly behind them. Tsunade gritted her teeth in annoyance as she watched them go.

Just when her life was settling down, those damned kids had to go and shake it up again.

* * *

_The gates of Konoha stood silently under the starlit sky, proudly guarding the hidden village within. Its doors were shut tight and its walls watched carefully; the night was deadly quiet._

_Then, two figures appeared below the tall gates, both arriving in a puff of smoke, one just seconds after the other. The two shadows faced each other, not saying a word. The tension was thick._

_Finally, the shorter one heaved an annoyed sigh._

"_My first B-rank mission since I come back and it's with _you_." He sneered._

_Neji rolled his eyes at the younger one's words._

"_You should have thought of that before you went and betrayed your village for power." The Hyuuga shot back._

_Sasuke growled and glared hard at the long haired ninja, narrowing his black eyes dangerously. But the older teen held his gaze with his own cold stare and refused to look away. Black met white and Sasuke felt himself drawn to those bottomless depths that seemed as if they could see into his very soul. Angry at his thoughts, he broke his gaze quickly and instead shot daggers at an innocent tree beside him. He crossed his arms over his chest and gritted his teeth._

'God damned Hyuuga.Why'd it have to be him?'

_The aforementioned Hyuuga watched the other pout – for he _was_ pouting, even though the Uchiha would rather die than admit it- with a small amount of amusement. Really, once one looked beyond the avenger's cold, hard exterior, Sasuke was nothing but a child._

_Neji sighed and shook his head. This was going to be a long mission._

"_Let's just get this over and done with." He said, adjusting his pack over his shoulders. _

_The Byakugan user only got a 'Hn' for a response before Sasuke was off, jumping through the trees at an impressive pace._

'Let's just see if he can maintain that speed.'

_A small smirk found its way to Neji's lips as he turned to follow. Soon he was out of sight and the night became silent once more.

* * *

_

"_Let's stop here for the night." _

_Sasuke nodded, coming to a halt beside his partner in a small clearing. Tall trees surrounded them, their branches causing strange shadows to form on the ground as the moonlight bathed their leaves in a soft, silver light. It was a warm summer night, but a cool breeze played with their hair and dried the sweat on their skin. The two ninjas had travelled far and were more than ready to rest until morning. _

_Neji knelt down on the soft earth and pulled out his blankets from his pack. He saw Sasuke do the same out of the corner of his eyes. Both were too tired to bother making any food, and agreed silently that they would eat in the morning._

_The Hyuuga lowered himself onto the ground and drew his blankets around him. It would take some time to get used to sleeping outside again, but he was so tired that he didn't think it would really matter. He wondered how it would be for Sasuke, who he was sure hadn't camped outside for a while. White eyes gazed silently at the other's dark hair as the Uchiha shifted through his pack. No, Sasuke would be fine. He had faced worse, Neji was knew that. _

_Still, he wondered why the Hokage had paired them up together. Out of all of the other ninjas that could've gone, why them? She knew that they didn't have a good history, and it's not like they ever really worked together. Neji wasn't very fond of the younger prodigy and it was obvious that the Uchiha didn't like him very much either, so why put them together on a B-ranked mission?_

'Maybe all of the others that could have gone were already busy.'

_But, like it or not, they were here now, on this mission with one another and Neji would be damned if he didn't complete it because of some meaningless relationship issues._

'So I may as well accept it.'

_With that decided, the Hyuuga finally let the fatigue - that had been lingering over him at the back of his mind for the past hour- wash over him. He brushed a stray piece of hair from his face and closed his eyes with a sigh._

_Sasuke sat down beside his partner, his own blankets wrapped tightly around him. His dark eyes rose to look at the bright stars lighting up the dark sky. His mind wandered, not lingering on any thought for too long. Finally, the Uchiha shook his head and glanced to his side._

_Neji appeared to be asleep, but one could never be sure with ninjas. Sasuke turned away with a huff. He wished that damned Hokage had paired him up with Naruto. That would have made this mission much more interesting. But _no_, he just had to be put with this stuck up _Hyuuga_ of all people._

_Sasuke shook his head and turned his eyes back to the night sky. This wasn't the time to be feeling sorry for himself; he could do that any time. No, right now he had to concentrate on finishing this god-forsaken mission as soon as possible so he could get back to Konoha and beat the shit out of Naruto. _

_The Uchiha smirked. That's right; he and Naruto hadn't had a good spar in _ages_. Sasuke knew that the blond would be more than happy to fight him; he always was. The dark haired ninja could look forward to that once he got home. _

_His mind settled for now, Sasuke laid down, snuggling into his blankets as the night steadily got colder. _

_Yes, he would finish this mission quickly so he could get back to his normal life and away from his stupid Hyuuga. It was only a B-ranked mission anyways, how hard could it be?_

**TBC

* * *

**

I hope you guys weren't waiting too long for this to come out. I try to update at least once a month, around school and stuff. Anyways, I hope you guys are enjoying it so far. Thanks to everyone who has read and reviewed! Criticism and comments are welcomed! See you in Chapter 2!


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Neji sighed as he shut the door softly behind him. He faintly heard the rustles of papers as Tsunade went back to work (or so he hoped; for all he knew, the Hokage could be rooting around for another bottle of sake). He turned to face his companion and shook his head.

Sasuke stood in front of him, oblivious to Neji's exasperation. He cocked his head to the side when the Hyuuga simply stood there in front of Tsunade's office door.

Neji saw the younger one's confused look and sighed.

"Sasuke…."

Said Uchiha frowned and crossed his arms defensively over his chest, as if he sensed what was about to come.

"What?" he demanded, holding his head high despite the twinge of pain that ran through his bruised cheek at the movement.

Neji just sighed again as he walked past the dark haired boy and turned down a long hallway, away from the Hokage's office. He heard Sasuke follow him silently, his footsteps mirroring Neji's.

"How do you plan on writing that report?" Neji asked quietly, knowing that Sasuke could hear the whispered question.

The dull black eyes narrowed and Sasuke scowled.

"I'll think of something." He muttered, uncrossing his arms to stuff his hands into the pockets of his dirty black shorts.

"Sasuke, you can't-"

"I'll _think_ of something, Neji." Sasuke repeated coldly. "I'm not completely helpless, you know."

Neji resisted the urge to roll his eyes, even though Sasuke couldn't see him. They were walking through the lobby now, heading towards the doors that lead out into the busy streets of Konoha. Through the doors' windows, the two ninjas could see people bustling through the streets outside; talking with friends, on errands, shopping in the market.

Sasuke kept a couple of steps between him and Neji, his onyx eyes trained on the ground. Neji's quiet footsteps were not missed by his keen ears and when he heard the Hyuuga step to the side around a receptionist's large wooden desk, Sasuke followed the sound and did the same.

Soon, they were out the doors and stepping onto the crowded streets of Konoha.

Neji and Sasuke slowly pushed their way through the throngs of people rushing through the streets. Neji lead the way, carefully picking a path through the crowd and Sasuke silently followed, his brows drawn together in concentration. It took all of the boy's will to lock on to Neji's presence and not lose it in the mass number of people around them.

Sasuke was so engrossed in this task that when a small child tripped and fell a few feet to the left, the shrill cry of surprise and pain jolted the Uchiha to a stop. His head snapped up as he scanned the area for danger.

"Honey, I told you not to run so fast." He heard the chiding feminine voice speak from beside him.

Sasuke shook his head in frustration. He had to get used to navigating through big groups of people. It wasn't that hard, really. All he had to do was follow Neji…

Sasuke's dark eyes widened and he froze, cold panic paling his already white face.

Neji… where was Neji?

Once again Sasuke's head moved from left to right, searching but not finding anything. His breath came out in quick pants as fear tried to take over.

'_Get a hold of yourself.'_ Sasuke forcibly told himself.

He tried to calm his breathing but it was hard. There were too many people, too many bodies. Pushing, all blending together and he could find no familiar presence in the crowds. Nothing… he was lost….

"Neji…" he whispered, his hands clenching into fists. His eyes darted back and forth, unseeing. A little louder this time… "Neji!"

A firm hand grabbed his elbow and Sasuke tensed.

"I'm right here."

The Uchiha hadn't realized that he had been holding his breath until he let it out in a relieved sigh. He turned and raised shaking hands to softly caress the other's cheek.

"Neji…. I thought…."

"It's okay."

Sasuke sighed and let his hands drop. Neji caught them and held them gently. They stood there silently, ignoring the other villagers that pushed past and around their still forms.

"I hate crowds." The dark haired boy finally grumbled.

Neji let out a small chuckle.

"You'll get used to it."

Sasuke shook his head.

"I hate this. I hate being so…"

"You'll get used to it, Sasuke. I know you will."

The younger boy bit his lip and nodded, slowly untangling his hands from Neji's.

Neji smiled and even though Sasuke couldn't see it, he could hear it in the Hyuuga's voice. "Try not to lose me again, alright?" The long haired boy teased.

Sasuke shook his head.

"I'll never lose you."

And suddenly it felt as if they were talking about something else entirely. Once again, silence descended on the two prodigies.

"Sasuke!!"

The dark haired boy blinked and lifted his head. His brows furrowed.

"Is that…"

Neji nodded.

"Naruto."

The Hyuuga watched with amused eyes as the bouncing shock of orange and yellow bounded towards them. A small smile tugged at the edges of his mouth. He raised his hand in greeting as Naruto came closer. The loud ninja flashed him a grin before turning on the Uchiha.

"Hey, bastard!" the blond cried, jumping on his dark haired friend and nearly sending them both to the ground.

Sasuke started badly but he managed to hide it. He gently pushed his team mate off of him, smirking.

"Hello, dobe. I see that you've managed to survive without me, though I don't know how. Who took the responsibility of saving your ass for me while I was gone?"

Naruto mock-glared and pouted, crossing his arms over his orange clad chest.

"You definitely haven't changed, teme." He said.

Sasuke rolled his eyes.

"It's only been six months, Naruto." He reminded.

Naruto shrugged.

"I know… But for some reason…" he shook his head, his messy blond locks falling over his whiskered cheeks. "Never mind..." He smiled suddenly. "Sakura will be so glad to see you."

Sasuke resisted the urge to groan in dismay. He didn't have anything against the pink haired girl, they had become closer ever since he came back from Orochimaru, but the Uchiha didn't think he could handle her right now.

Neji smiled softly at his friends' antics. Being around Naruto… One was able to forget all of their troubles, all of the darkness lingering in their hearts. The blond would truly make a great Hokage, one day.

"Yes, it's good to be back." The Hyuuga said.

Naruto grinned his fox-like grin. Suddenly, his deep blue eyes widened as he spotted a shock of pink through the crowd.

"Hey, look! There's Sakura now!" he waved his arm in the air enthusiastically. "Sakura-chan!!"

Sasuke was frowning, his features twisted up in a grimace. It was too much… Too much noise and too many people… Too much excitement and all he wanted to do was go to bed and sleep. Sleep for so long that he wouldn't remember anything when he woke up. He just wanted to forget…

People pushed pass him, jostling him back and forth, talking, yelling, laughing. Sasuke's hands clenched into fists at his sides. He couldn't take it… He hated this…. He hated not being able to…

"I want to go home." He whispered, so softly that he could barely hear his own voice.

But Neji did and Sasuke felt his concerned gaze fall upon him. He looked up with pained, dull eyes.

"I…" he bit his lip and sighed. "I can't…."

Neji's brows furrowed together as he watched his friend sway, a pale hand absentmindedly rubbing his left hip as if it itched. The Hyuuga caught Sasuke's elbow in his strong hand and brought the other close. He turned to Naruto.

"Sorry, Naruto, but I think it's time that Sasuke and I headed home." Naruto blinked at Neji in confusion.

"What? But you just got back!" he protested.

Neji laughed and shook his head.

"Yes, but right now we both really need a shower and some rest. If you'll excuse us, Naruto."

Sasuke sighed in relief and closed his tired eyes. Yes… Sleep sounded good right now.

* * *

"_It's raining."_

_Neji paused, crouching on the tall tree branch he had just landed on. He turned white eyes to regard his younger companion silently. Sasuke was a couple of feet behind him, balancing on another branch, much the same way as Neji was. The Uchiha's face was turned towards the cloud covered sky. Neji watched, transfixed, as a drop of water- a tear or a rain drop? - slid its way down Sasuke's pale cheek in a wet river. The Hyuuga's blank eyes followed the delicate drop of water travel pass long, dark eyelashes, pale skin, full, moist pink lips…_

_Neji shook himself and looked away sharply at the ground below them, frowning at the erratic beat of his heart. The long haired ninja only dared to glance up when he felt the other's heavy stare on him._

_Sasuke looked at him silently, the colour of his eyes impossibly black and endless. Neji swallowed and then Sasuke spoke, his voice low and husky._

_"There's going to be a storm." He whispered._

_"Then we should find shelter for the night." Neji responded just as quietly. _

_But neither of them moved, their eyes locked- black and white-, each trapped within the other's gaze, drowning.

* * *

__Sasuke grumbled to himself once again as he tossed and turned underneath his blankets. It was cold now; the nights were getting longer as they passed by the Snow Country. Sasuke hated the cold, hated the discomfort it brought, the feeling that no matter how many layers you put on, or how tight a ball you scrunched yourself into, you'd never warm up. People called _him_ a cold bastard but he couldn't really agree. He hated the cold and if he _was_ cold, then he hated himself. _

_Every time he got comfortable enough for his mind to drift and fall into a light doze, the freezing temperature would suddenly pierce through him, as if reminding him of its annoying presence. He would be snapped awake again, frustrated and shivering _

_It had been hours since he and Neji had stopped for the night inside a small cave that sheltered them from the gusting winds and frosty ground. The two had been travelling for days now, passing through towns every now and then, but keeping a steady pace and never slowing. _

_Sasuke sighed in frustration and pushed himself into a sitting position, dragging his too-thin blankets around him and pulling his knees up into his chest. His eyes darted to the dark form of his companion, but once again he couldn't tell if the older one was asleep or not._

_The Uchiha blew on his frozen hands and rested his head on his knees, his eyes drooping in exhaustion, but the cold kept him awake. _

_Neji blinked bleary eyes at the sound of cloth rustling. The Hyuuga stretched stiffly. He had been dozing lightly, wrapped up deeply in his blankets. Neji turned his head slightly to see Sasuke sitting up, curled into a shivering ball. Neji sighed and turned over to face the other, lifting himself onto one elbow. _

"_Can't sleep?" he asked._

_Sasuke jumped, his black eyes darting sideways to meet Neji's. The long haired ninja raised a fine brow. Sasuke huffed and looked away, glaring out the opening of the cave._

_There was a moment of tense silence. Finally, Neji sighed and lifted the edge of his blanket._

"_Come on."_

_Onyx eyes stared at him incredulously. Neji rolled his own._

"_If you're tired tomorrow because you couldn't sleep because of the cold, it will slow us down." He explained. "This way, we can share body heat."_

'Che. How cliché.'

_Sasuke still hesitated. Neji shook his head in exasperation._

"_Look, it's not a big deal." A sly smile found its way to the Hyuuga's lips and pure white met endless black. The smile turned into a smirk _(or was it a leer?)._ "Unless you want it to be…"_

_Sasuke glared and tried to blame the redness dusting his cheeks on the cold. He heard Neji chuckle and narrowed his eyes further._

"_Whatever, asshole." He grumbled, shifting closer to lie next to the older._

_Neji laughed quietly as he draped both of their blankets around them._

"_Charming." _

_Sasuke shot one last glare at the Hyuuga before closing his eyes, warmth finally enveloping him. He was asleep in seconds._

_The shrill sound of a bird's call threatened to pull Sasuke away from his slumber, but the dark haired boy didn't want to leave this feeling of comfort and security yet. It had been so long since he had woken up this way…_

_It was… nice…_

_But nature didn't seem to want to let him sleep any longer, and as the first rays of sun came up over the horizon, Sasuke slowly awoke and realized several things at once._

_The first thing he noticed was that the pillow his head was resting on was, in fact, not a pillow, for it was rising up and down softly and there was a steady beat of what sounded like a heart drumming in his ears._

_The next thing he noticed was that he was not alone in his sanctuary of blankets, but lying snuggled up next to another, his arm draped across a slim waist and his legs tangled with two others. He suddenly became aware of the heavy weight of an arm around his shoulders._

_Then, the events of last night came back to him and his eyes flew open._

'No, definitely not a pillow.'_ He decided. _'Who knew Neji could be so warm?'

_Sasuke felt heat rise to his cheeks when he saw what position they were in. He was practically lying on top of the older ninja, one of his legs draped over the other's. And he wasn't blushing- _he wasn't, goddamn it! -_ it was the _cold_ that was making his face red. It didn't have to do anything with the fact that his legs were almost between Neji's and that he could hear the other's heart and that Neji's breath was ghosting over his face, all hot and… and…_

"_Oh… Is it morning already?"_

_Sasuke stiffened and slowly raised his eyes to meet with white ones. Neji looked back at him, amusement lighting up his usually indifferent face. Sasuke blushed and attempted to untangle himself from the older ninja. Neji's hold wouldn't give though and Sasuke turned to glare. _

_Neji chuckled._

"_What? It's all nice and warm." He brought Sasuke closer as if to prove his point._

_Sasuke scowled and struggled against the Hyuuga's iron grip, but they both knew that if he had truly wanted to get away, arms wouldn't have stopped him. _

"_We have to get going…" he muttered, but his excuse was only half-hearted._

_Neji furrowed his brows and gazed outside the mouth of their little cave. He sighed and nodded._

"_I guess you're right." The white eyed teen reluctantly released his hold on the younger one and slowly got to his feet, stretching._

_Sasuke sighed in relief _(and definitely not in disappointment)_ and rose as well, turning to fold up their blankets._

_Neji stood just outside of their shelter, looking at the sky._

"_We should reach our target by tomorrow." He faced Sasuke and allowed a slow grin to grace his full lips. "And we'll be heading back to Konoha two days from now." _

_The Uchiha smirked. _

"_Piece of cake."_

**TBC

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**

Thanks so much to everyone who reviewed. Sorry it took a while to get this chapter out but life decided to come and make itself known. I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! Thanks for everyone's support!

Comments are greatly appreciated.


	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Neji closed his eyes and let the warm water wash over him, falling in rivulets down his face and through his long hair. It felt so good to have a shower again.

He and Sasuke had said a quick goodbye to Naruto before heading back to the Uchiha's apartment near the edges of the city. The blonde had been disappointed that they had to leave so soon, but promised to come see them later. The two prodigies immediately headed for the bathroom once they reached Sasuke's home, anxious to wash the dirt and sweat off of their bodies and get some rest.

The Hyuuga reached out a pale hand to grope for the tap and slowly turned it, letting the water bleed from hot to cold before stopping its flow all together. Neji opened his white eyes, blinking water from his lashes. He stepped out of the shower, grabbing a thick towel from the rack on the wall.

The mirror was fogged, condensation leaving streaks of moisture on its clear surface. Neji sighed and wiped it with his hand, peering at his reflection. His long brown hair was in total disarray, dripping and tangled. Neji shook his head and reached for his brush resting beside the sink.

The Hyuuga opened the bathroom door slightly as he ran the brush through his messy locks. The air was very thick from Sasuke's and then his shower. Cool air from the rest of the Uchiha's apartment swept through the small open crack.

Neji finished combing his hair and pulled on a loose pair of black pants and a blue t-shirt. The long haired teen hung up his towel and stepped out of the humid bathroom.

Sasuke was sitting at his desk by his queen sized bed, a blank page in front of him and a pen twirling between his long fingers. His dark brows were drawn together in concentration and his foot tapped rhythmically on the ground.

Neji sighed and made his way over to the younger boy, looking down at the lined paper that sat untouched before the Uchiha. He heard the dark haired teen grumble in frustration and came to stand behind the boy.

"Really, Sasuke." Neji said. "How are you going to write the report?"

Sasuke gritted his teeth together, spinning the pen faster through his fingers. He hated this feeling of helplessness, hated not being able to do something so simple. But he swallowed whatever sarcastic remark that was making its way to his mouth. No, Neji didn't deserve to be on the receiving end of his anger. It wasn't the Hyuuga's fault.

Sasuke let his breath whoosh out of him and released all of his frustration along with it. But that didn't stop him from fidgeting. He tapped the pen against the desk.

"Can… Can you cut a small slit in the paper at each line?" he asked quietly.

Neji raised an eyebrow at the request.

"So you'll be able to tell where they are?" he guessed.

Sasuke nodded, biting his lip. The boy was obviously uncomfortable with asking for help from another.

Neji smiled and leaned over the dark haired teen to grab the sheet. His breath ghosted over Sasuke's pale neck and he felt the younger one shiver pleasantly. The Hyuuga inhaled the other's earthy scent, closing his eyes. He nuzzled the skin presented to him before he pulled away, leaving the Uchiha to sigh in disappointment.

The long haired ninja smirked as he turned to grab a kunai from his weapons pouch that lay beside the bed. He sat down on the ground and got to work on his appointed task.

A comfortable silence gradually descended on the two companions, until all that could be heard was the quick slices of Neji's knife against the paper.

Sasuke frowned and swivelled the spinning chair around to face the older teen.

"Are you using a_ kunai_ to cut it?" he asked incredulously.

Neji paused to glance up at the other and shrugged.

"What's wrong with that?"

Sasuke shook his head, but a smirk tugged at the edges of his mouth.

"I _do_ have scissors, you know."

Neji rolled his eyes and went back to work, halfway done cutting small slits on the edge of the page at each blue line.

The room fell quiet once again, both boys lost in each of their thoughts. Because of that, the two ninjas jumped in surprise when there was a sharp knock on the apartment's door.

Neji rolled his eyes and set the paper and kunai on the floor, slowly getting to his feet. He lightly pushed Sasuke back down into his chair when the younger one moved to get up as well.

"I'll get it." He said softly.

Sasuke nodded, settling back into his seat, though he was frowning. Both of them had an idea who it was.

* * *

Neji made his way to the apartment's front room, passing through the living room and into the hallway where their shoes lay. He opened the door and sighed when he saw who it was. 

"Neji-sama." It was one of the Hyuuga messengers.

Neji rubbed his temples. "What is it?" he demanded.

His unnamed relative looked mildly uncomfortable.

"Hiashi-sama would like to see you."

Neji pressed his lips in a thin line. He frowned in annoyance.

"Tell him that I will be there shortly."

The other man nodded and bowed before disappearing in a puff of thick smoke. Neji shook his head and closed the door softly, turning to lean against its wooden frame.

Sasuke was not going to be pleased.

* * *

Sasuke leaned back in his chair, crossing his legs as he waited for Neji to return. He kept forgetting that it wasn't night time, though it felt like it. Really, it was only about mid-day. Sasuke ran his hands over his pale face. It felt like he had been awake for _forever_. 

But the Uchiha didn't really feel tired; at least, not anymore. After getting back to his apartment, having a shower and just _relaxing_ for the first time in what felt like months, he felt like he had more energy. Sasuke looked up when he heard Neji's footsteps approaching.

"Who was it?" he asked when the other came to sit on the bed beside him.

"One of my clan's messengers." The Hyuuga said, almost apologetically. "Hiashi wants me home."

Sasuke glowered and Neji reached out to brush the younger's long black bangs away from his face.

"I won't be long." He whispered.

Sasuke turned away from his touch, facing the desk again and groping around its wooden surface for his pen.

"Whatever." He said coldly.

Neji resisted the urge to roll his eyes.

"Sasuke, I don't really have a choice in the matter." He tried to reason.

"Just go, Neji. Your _uncle_ will be angry if you kept him waiting. Who knows what he might do." Sasuke spat.

Neji rubbed his temples, fighting down his own frustration. He couldn't get mad at Sasuke, he knew the Uchiha too well to think that he was angry at _him_.

"I can finish cutting the paper if you want."

"No. I'm perfectly fine doing it on my own."

Neji sighed. "But Sasuke, you can't see-"

"Shut up, Neji. Just shut up." The answer was quiet and lacked heat behind the words.

Sasuke had put the pen down, his hands balled into tight fists. Neji's eyes softened and he reached over to spin the chair around to face him. Sasuke let out a small gasp at the sudden movement, but any protest was cut off when a warm pair of lips covered his.

Sasuke moaned low in his throat and brought pale hands up to tangle in Neji's silky locks, pulling him closer as all thoughts about family and pushy relatives faded from his mind. The older one lapped at the Uchiha's lips before slipping his tongue into his mouth.

The kiss turned into a wild fight for dominance that Sasuke knew he would eventually lose. He surrendered into it, groaning as Neji's tongue thrust in and out of his mouth. Sasuke knew that if they didn't stop soon, they wouldn't be able to stop at all. But he didn't want to let go of this, didn't want to lose this feeling of intimacy, needed the comfort it brought.

All too soon, Neji gently pulled away, cupping Sasuke's cheeks in his calloused hands, The dark haired boy closed his raven eyes and leaned into the touch, a small sigh escaping him. Neji smiled and placed one last lingering kiss on those bruised lips before getting to his feet, letting his hands fall softly away from the other's face. Sasuke didn't bother to open his eyes.

"I'll be back tonight." Neji said quietly as he headed for the door.

"Promise?"

"I promise."

Sasuke heard the door shut after Neji and turned back to the desk, rubbing his left hip absently. He picked up his long discarded pen and twirled it between his fingers. The dead silence made the memories come back, but Sasuke forcefully pushed them away and tried not to let his mind stray back to the past.

* * *

_The bar was crowded, but they had to wait somewhere. _

_Sasuke rubbed his temples, it had started pounding about three minutes ago because of all the noise in the small tavern. The Uchiha sighed and rested his pale arms on the bar, adjusting his seat on the tall, wooden stool until he was comfortable. _

_He and Neji had reached their destination two hours ago in the early evening. The ninjas had then asked the locals about their target: where he worked, lived, what he did and who he was. They received some interesting answers._

"His name is Sato Aomori, age 45." Neji had reported afterward. The Hyuuga's face was twisted in a disgusted grimace. "He owns the town's brothel and makes a lot of money in his job; he's famous for his work and people come from all around the country to meet him and his… employees. He works with two other men, Takashi Yamagata and Kudo Saitama, both in their late forties. Aomori is at the brothel every night from 9:00pm to around 2:00am."

"Then we wait until nightfall." Sasuke muttered.

Neji nodded, his expression grim.

_Sasuke shook his head. _A brothel. Typical_. He just hoped that they didn't have to wear a disguise to get in. But the Uchiha knew that that wasn't what was really bothering him. Sasuke bit his lip. No, he had a bad feeling about this that just wouldn't go away. _

_Three drunken men sitting around a table near them laughed loudly, waving their arms around and spilling their drinks all over the already dirty floor. Neji sighed and glanced over at his partner. The younger one had been quieter than usual ever since they had arrived at the town. He wondered if it was because of their target and what he did. But surely the Sharingan user had seen worse in his life, especially after spending so many years with Orochimaru. _

"_Sasuke…" He said quietly, knowing that the other would be able to hear him even though people were shouting and chairs were scraping the ground._

_But Sasuke didn't look up at the sound of his name and Neji noticed the troubled look on his handsome face. The Hyuuga frowned and said the black haired boy's name again, a little louder, but still got no answer. Hesitantly, he reached a pale hand out, brushing back Sasuke's long, dark bangs from his face._

_It was only then that the Uchiha's eyes turned to meet his and their gazes locked. It suddenly hit Neji just how far they had come. Before this mission, they barely saw each other and thought of one another even less. They didn't care if the other got hurt and it didn't matter if one of them was sick. But now…_

_Neji's white eyes softened as his long fingers trailed down Sasuke's smooth cheek. A smile tugged at his lips as he saw the younger unwillingly lean into the gentle touch._

_But now they were friends and there was a chance that they could become even more than that. Somehow, _somehow_, this mission had brought them closer together that either of them had even dreamed of and Neji could only wonder if that was what Tsunade had been planning when she had paired them up for it. _

_They were so alike in so many ways, but at the same time they had both chose different paths to follow, which made them not similar at all. But there was something about Sasuke… _

_Neji's eyes grew heavy as he pulled the other closer. And the only thing he could think of as he pressed his lips to the younger one's was_

How romantic. First kiss right in the middle of a noisy bar in the middle of nowhere.

_But when their mouths met and Sasuke finally responded, it only felt _right.

_To say that the kiss surprised Sasuke was an understatement. He could feel heat rising to his cheeks as Neji wrapped a strong arm around his waist. But it felt _good_, almost too good after so much time without any human contact other than what you get in battle. And it was Neji, the man who he never expected to like in the first place. _When had they grown so close? When had they dropped their icy facades and saw each other for who they really were?

_He heard some people laugh at them but it was far away, too far away to matter. But soon, _all too soon_, Neji had to pull away for air and the two ninjas gasped for breath, their eyes slowly opening to lock once again._

_Sasuke didn't realize that he was smiling until the other smiled back. His whole body was warm and suddenly the noise in the bar wasn't as bad anymore. It was then that he realized that half of the other people in the bar were watching them and a blush spread across the Uchiha's cheeks. _

_But Neji was smiling and it lit up his whole face and Sasuke just couldn't find it in himself to get angry. _

"_Che. Pervert." He muttered, turning away to hide the redness on his face._

_Neji chuckled and ran a hand through his long hair, all too smug for his own good. He was surprised and almost a little scared at how happy he felt_, just after a little kiss_. But then his eyes fell on the old wooden clock hanging on the bar's wall and the mission came back to him from where it lay forgotten in the back of his mind._

Where had all of the time gone? It seemed to have just flown past without them knowing.

_It was 9:06pm and they had to get going. They weren't here on some cheesy date. They were here on a mission, and that mission had to be completed._

_Sasuke followed the Hyuuga's white gaze and sighed, slowly getting to his feet. _

Duty called.

* * *

_It was surprisingly easy to sneak into the brothel unnoticed. Sasuke and Neji were mere shadows in the dark as they slipped past the doorman and up the stairs to where their target resided._

_They followed someone who appeared to be a worker, a young man dressed in black, tight leather that showed as much skin as possible. He led them unknowingly to where Sato sat in a richly furnished room on the highest floor of the building. _

_There were no windows and the walls were painted a deep blood red. The floor was black marble that echoed noisily when you walked. Paintings of landscapes and people covered the wall in million dollar frames. At the far side of the room were steps that led up to a large black, leather seat that looked more like a throne. There, Sato sat. _

_He was a big man with nearly no hair that looked as sleazy as his business. His skin was almost oily and reflected the dim light of the room. His mouth was pulled into a wide, yellow grin that brought ugly wrinkles to his twisted face. He was wearing a fancy suit that looked too small for his wide frame, his legs crossed and his black shoes shining. In one pudgy hand he held a glass of red wine. _

_On either side of him were two other men, who Neji and Sasuke presumed that were Takashi Yamagata and Kudo Saitama, the two other masterminds behind the profitable brothel._ _They were large men that looked more like bodyguards rather than pimps. Their shoulders were wide and their muscles bulged through their black suits. They both had dark hair, but one wore his hair long while the other had his cropped short. They both looked powerful, but because Neji and Sasuke hadn't seen a picture of either one before, they didn't know who was who. _

_The two teens slipped into the room and disappeared into the shadows, unnoticed and silent._

_The man that they had followed up to the room strode into the room, his high boots making the marble echo off the walls. He stopped at the centre of the room and bowed deeply._

"_Sato-sama, sorry for interrupting," he said. His voice wasn't deep and that was when Sasuke and Neji realized how young he was. Just barely older than them. Sasuke felt his stomach roll in disgust. "But there are some people who would like to meet with you, Yamagata-san and Saitama-san." _

_Sato sneered, obviously displeased. "Fine, fine. Tell them that we will be right down." _

_The boy nodded before leaving silently. The three older men watched him leave, their gazes too hungry and lingering too long. Kudo and Takashi turned to Sato and smirked._

"_We'll go down and see them, you just stay here." One of them said. _

_Sato laughed and the sound brought shivers down Neji and Sasuke's spine. The Uchiha's hand twitched, itching to reach for his kunai and get this over with. Neji must have noticed the small movement, for a second later his cool hand was over Sasuke's. He gave the younger's hand a small squeeze before letting go. Sasuke bit his lip to keep from sighing._

"_Do as you will." Sato said, waving the other two off. _

_Kudo and Takashi exchanged a small look, and smirked. One of them gave Sato a small wave as they turned toward the door. Their movements were smooth and graceful. _Too graceful. _Sasuke frowned. He didn't like this; he didn't like it at all. Something was off and he couldn't shake this bad feeling in his gut. _

But now was their chance and they had to take it.

_Neji motioned silently to Sasuke and they both moved in for the kill, their hearts beating fast but their feet silent on the marble floor._

_Sasuke's mind was racing as he and Neji slipped their weapons out of their pouches. _This was too easy._ Something wasn't right. The Uchiha fought to keep his breathing even as panic tried to consume him. _But why?_ Why was he feeling this way? Why were his instincts telling him to run? _They_ were the hunters, _they_ were the predators so why was he the one feeling like he was fighting for his life?_

_It was _them_, Kudo and Takashi. _Something_ about them. Sasuke's breath caught in realization as Neji brought his knife down to deliver the final blow. _

They moved like ninjas.

_Neji's knife cut clean through the suit and the oily skin, but not even the sound of tearing fabric could be heard over Sasuke's pounding heart. _

Too easy. It was too easy. They moved like ninjas.

_Cold, sharp metal pierced and blood pooled out of the wound. Sasuke knew that he was doing nothing, but he couldn't move from where he was frozen in shock as realization hit him._

It was…

_Neji pulled the kunai out of the body swiftly and Sato fell limp in his chair, his eyes blank and dull._

It was…

_Neji turned to Sasuke, his white eyes confused. The Uchiha was just standing there, his eyes wide and his teeth clenched together. Their eyes met and Sasuke opened his mouth to say something, but suddenly the world went black and Neji couldn't see anything at all. He spun around, his byakugan activated as he fell into a defensive crouch. _But he could see nothing_- the world was black. His breathing hitched as he blinked and blinked again but he could still only see darkness. He heard Sasuke call out for him just as the first blow came and he was thrown back into the wall, blood pooling from his head._

It was a trap.

**TBC**

* * *

I found it funny how the first kiss seen in the present story was put with Neji and Sasuke's fist kiss in the past. I didn't even plan it that way. 

I had fun writing that last part, but what did you guys think? I hoped you enjoyed it. Comments are encouraged, as always!

Thanks very much to everyone who has read and reviewed this story! You guys really make my day.


	5. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

_CLANG_

Sasuke flexed his long, bony fingers, ignoring the pen that he just threw as it rolled off the desk and onto the carpeted floor. He couldn't do this. He tried to follow the cuts that Neji had made and it had worked at first, but then the cuts ended and Sasuke was left to try and finish his report without them. He was starting to regret not asking Neji to finish before he left. Sasuke mentally shook himself. No. Neji had to leave when he did. There was no point regretting it now.

Sasuke sighed and rested his arms on the desk, covering the half-written page with his pale hands that drummed against the wooden surface and refused to keep still.

He hated this, hated sitting here and not having anything to do. He couldn't tell what time it was but he knew that it must be at least mid-day by now. The Uchiha got slowly to his feet and cautiously made his way through the house to the kitchen, absently scratching his left hip.

After a couple of minutes, he felt the cool tiles of the kitchen on his bare feet. The dark haired boy made his way over to the fridge and pulled it open. Cool air brushed his bangs from his face.

He wasn't even that hungry, but he knew that if he didn't eat he would only get weaker.

Sasuke's mind started to wonder again as he felt around for the cold cuts and butter. His mind seemed to rewind itself backwards to all those months ago as he pushed the fridge door closed. Sasuke sighed and shook his head. He shouldn't be dwelling on the past. Not now, when he had only just gotten back.

Ten minutes later found Sasuke sitting in the same chair in front of the same, wooden desk drumming his fingers on its surface with his face cupped in one hand. He had tried to finish his sandwich, but with every bite his mind would remind him of something else and nausea would make him stop. Sasuke closed his eyes. It couldn't go on like this. He _had_ to get over it.

But it was hard without Neji around and with the memories so fresh. Maybe it would be easier if they did tell someone.

Sasuke sighed and sat back in his chair, folding his arms across his chest. His foot tapped rhythmically on the ground. How long had it been since Neji had left? Surely just meeting back with his clan wouldn't take so long.

The dark haired boy wanted to scream in frustration. He had to stop worrying! But he had nothing to do and- he finally realized- he was bored. _Extremely_ bored. And he had nothing better to do than get lost in the past and worry about the future.

Sasuke rubbed his temples. No. He had to get control over his emotions. He had to get used to living like this again, even after so long…

A loud knock on the door made him jump.

Sasuke frowned. For a second, he thought it was Neji and was almost disgusted with how hopeful he felt. The Uchiha shook his head. No. Neji wouldn't be back yet. Not so soon.

The dark haired boy sat silently, pondering. His fingers were finally still on the desk. He considered not answering, but that thought was quickly discarded. What if it was something important? Nobody knocked on a ninja's door without reason. What if something happened to Neji? Sasuke felt his breath hitch. What if _they_ were…?

Sasuke shook himself. He was getting paranoid. Why was he such an emotional wreck today?

The Sharingan user slowly got to his feet and shuffled his way to the door, a pale hand trailing on the painted wall.

The insistent knocking continued.

Sasuke growled lowly in his throat. "Shut up. I'm coming." He snapped, carefully stepping around his shoes.

An annoyed voice replied from the other side of the door almost instantly.

"Then hurry up, teme! Move your pale ass faster!"

Sasuke felt his eye twitch as he reached out to open the front door. He recognized those chakra signatures now.

The Uchiha yanked the door open...

"Hello Kakashi, Sakura, dobe." He said flatly.

"Hello Sasuke."

"Sasuke-kun! I'm so glad you're back!"

"Don't call me a dobe, you asshole!"

Sasuke resisted the urge to roll his black eyes even as felt a smirk tug at his lips. Some things never changed, no matter how long you were gone for. The Uchiha sighed. For that, he was thankful.

"I should have known that you guys would eventually come over to harass me." The dark haired boy said. None the less, he stepped aside to let them in.

Naruto instantly bounded past him, throwing himself onto the couch in the living room and making himself at home.

Sasuke shook his head when he heard the blond give a loud sigh on contentment as he settled himself on between the plush cushions. Sakura immediately was beside their loud team mate, smacking him over the head with a curt '_idiot, don't be so rude.'_

"How are you feeling, Sasuke?" Kakashi asked from beside him.

Sasuke eyed his teacher wearily; cautious for a reason he wasn't sure of. He could imagine the older one's eye watching him expectantly.

"Fine." He finally grunted.

The Uchiha turned away from the silver haired man to follow his team mates into the next room. As he made his way down the short stretch of hallway, he could barely hear Kakashi's quiet footsteps behind him. Even so, Sasuke could feel his teacher's thoughtful gaze on his back.

Sasuke clenched his hands into fists, his palms slick with nervous sweat. Kakashi was suspicious; the older man knew that he and Neji were hiding something from the rest of them. The Uchiha silently cursed. He had known that someone would eventually figure it out; he just thought that he had more time to prepare for it.

More time to recover.

Sasuke and Kakashi reached the living room, where Sakura and Naruto were bickering on the couch. They looked up when they entered. Sasuke sat down beside the two while Kakashi opted to lean against the pale blue wall.

"So, so!!" Naruto cried, nearly bouncing with excitement. He was grinning one of his fox-like grins. "How was your mission, teme? Did you fight a lot of strong ninjas? Tell us!"

Sakura sighed.

"Calm down, Naruto." She said. "Pause for a second and let Sasuke answer."

The blond grumbled something under his breath but did as she said, crossing his arms over his chest and pouting. They all knew that he wouldn't sulk for long, though. His high energy didn't allow that.

Sasuke frowned. Of course they would want to know more about the mission; Team Seven always exchanged stories if they didn't go as a together. But what was he supposed to say? Sasuke didn't want to lie but…

They wouldn't be able to handle the truth.

"It turned out to be more difficult than we had first thought." The Uchiha finally said. "That's why it took six months to complete."

It was a vague answer, but even if it wasn't the whole truth, it wasn't a lie either. He heard Naruto groan.

"Is that _all_? Man, you really suck, Sasuke. If it had been me, I still would've finished it in a week!" the blond exclaimed loudly.

Sasuke snorted.

"In your dreams, moron. If it had been you, Neji would have been in big trouble and you guys would still be out there." He said, but he was thinking something else.

_If it had been you, it would have turned out so much worse. They would have broken you, Naruto. _

Sasuke gave a bitter laugh, too quiet for his friends to hear.

_Good thing I was broken already._

Sakura frowned at Sasuke's vague answer. "If you don't want to tell us, Sasuke, we understand." She said quietly.

Her sweet voice was so full of genuine concern that Sasuke found himself felling guilty for keeping secrets from them. The stoic boy forcefully pushed the emotion aside.

Sakura continued. "But we're here for you if you do ever want to talk about it."

Now even Naruto was nodding solemnly, his usually comical eyes hard and serious. Sasuke could just picture Kakashi's eyes narrow as the silver haired jounin's suspicions increased.

Sasuke had underestimated them; his team knew him too well. The dark haired boy sighed as the room fell into an uncomfortable silence. Moments passed with adverted eyes and fidgeting before someone spoke.

"Mah…" The three teens looked up at their teacher's voice. Kakashi smiled from behind his mask "Since we're all here together… Who's up for some training?"

Naruto let out a crow of delight.

"Yeah! Sasuke-teme can see just how much we've improved while he was away!" the blond jabbed a finger at the said Uchiha. "I'm so gonna kick that skinny ass of yours, bastard!"

Sakura slowly smiled.

"It _has_ been a while…" she said.

Sasuke didn't comment, but he was usually like this, so his friends didn't notice his lack of response. Was he up for it? Sasuke clenched and unclenched his hands. Yes. Definitely. He needed something to distract him; needed an excuse to release all of his conflicting emotions before they became too much. He was too wound up to just stay in the house and sit and write an impossible report.

"Where are we going to go?" Naruto asked their teacher, grinning widely. "Our old training spot?"

Sasuke allowed a small smirk to cross his tense face at the blonds' childish excitement, even though he only let it linger for a second.

Kakashi shook his head in answer to Naruto's question, his right eye curved up in sly amusement. "No, I was thinking more like the Valley of the End."

Naruto, Sakura and Sasuke froze, their eyes wide as they stared at the older man in shock. They were all remembering; they knew what kind of memories that place held.

But Sasuke wasn't just thinking about the day he left for Sound. His worries were cast elsewhere.

_The Valley of the End…_

Sasuke's hands were white knuckled fists on his lap.

_Water… _

There was a lake in the Valley of the End. The Uchiha felt his heart start to pound in his chest as fear seeped into him.

_Water is not good._

Sasuke squeezed his eyes shut as Naruto and Sakura got up to follow Kakashi towards the door.

He was seriously starting to regret letting them in.

* * *

Neji sighed for what felt like the millionth time as Hiashi continued to fire question after question at him, barely giving Neji the chance to answer. They were kneeling on opposite sides of the Hyuuga Main House's living room, hands resting on their laps politely. The polished wood floor was smooth against their legs. Neji's eyes strayed to the thin sliding doors on either side of the room as his uncle rattled on, the tan surfaces covered with elegant paintings of green vines and blooming flowers. The young Hyuuga tried very hard to keep up with Hiashi, but after the first ten questions, his responses became mechanical. 

"Why did the mission take so long to complete, Neji?"

"Complications arose."

"Were you injured?"

"Nothing more than a few minor scratches."

"Why were you at the Uchiha's apartment?"

This made Neji pause.

"Pardon?" he said, raising an eyebrow.

Hiashi's eyes narrowed.

"I want to know the reason you were at Uchiha Sasuke's home this afternoon."

Neji had to keep himself from staring in disbelief. He couldn't believe that his uncle had the nerve to ask him that. Really, it was none of his business, but the long haired boy still felt like he had to answer.

"We were just completing our report about the mission." He said after a moment's hesitation.

Hiashi pressed his thin lips into a thin, tight line, his narrowed eyes showing his disbelief. But Neji didn't back down from his uncle's knowing eyes. He met the older Hyuuga's suspicious glare with his own determined one. It wasn't Hiashi's business, what he did with Sasuke had nothing to do with the clan. Neji's eyes slitted. He didn't have to tell his uncle anything.

Finally, Hiashi broke their locked gazes to look down at his hands folded neatly on his knees. His knuckles were white.

"Very well." He said slowly, in his deep, timber voice. "You may go to your room and clean up. Supper will be at seven; I want you to stay here until then."

Neji blinked. He opened his mouth to speak, but Hiashi held up a hand to silence him.

"You have been gone for six months. You should spend some time with your family." Hiashi's eyes were sharp, challenging, daring Neji to argue.

The younger Hyuuga gritted his teeth in frustration. He had promised Sasuke that he would be back that night; that he would stay with him as they faced their first night home after such a long time. _Sasuke _needed him, not his family, not the clan. Hiashi was testing him, waiting for Neji to tell him what was going on with him and the Uchiha.

Neji's eyes narrowed dangerously.

"But I have already made plans." He bit out after a moment's pause.

Hiashi glared hard, his white eyes disapproving.

"You have been gone for six months," he said again. "You can afford to spend the rest of the day with your clan." It was an order this time, not a suggestion.

Neji clenched his hands into tight fists, not caring when his nails bit into his palm and pierced flesh. It was all he could do to not shout at his uncle and _tell him_ how _unfair_ he was being.

The young Hyuuga closed his eyes, squeezed them shut tightly as if by doing so he could block out his damned uncle and his stupid rules.

'

* * *

"_You know, we really should be thanking you."_

_Sasuke struggled to clear the fog from his mind as he slowly woke up. The voice that spoke was deep and unfamiliar. The Uchiha frowned, _where was he?_ He couldn't remember, it was like a thick blanket had been cast over his head and he fought to shake it off. He could feel the cold hard press of concrete on his back;_ so he was lying down. _And could feel three other distinct chakra signatures near him;_ so he wasn't alone.

"_Why is that?" _

_Sasuke recognized that melodic tenor voice almost instantly. His hand twitched into a fist as he tried to wake himself up further. _

Neji…

_And suddenly the blanket was gone and it all came back. His dark eyes flew opened. _

What had happened? Where were they?

_Sasuke pushed himself into a sitting position, his frantic gaze searching around him. He was in a small room, no bigger than a school classroom, with walls made up of concrete and stone. There was no furniture in the room, no windows and only one heavy looking door. Neji was kneeling beside him, glaring up at someone. Sasuke followed the hard look to two men._

The two men from before._ The dark haired boy realized. _

_This close, their power was obvious just in their presence. They were standing a few feet away from the Konoha ninjas, their thin lips quirked up in nearly identical smirks. Sasuke's eyes narrowed and his hands clenched into fists._

_The one with the shorter hair and vivid green eyes noticed Sasuke get up and slowly turned to the Uchiha, his grin widening._

"_Looks like your little friend has finally decided to join us." He said. By the sound of his voice, Sasuke guessed that he was the one that had spoken before. His voice was as smooth as silk and Sasuke hated him instantly._

_Neji followed the man's gaze to his companion on his right. He hadn't even noticed the Uchiha get up. The long haired ninja cursed. _Just what had these guys done to them?

_Neji so badly wanted to reach out to the younger one and make sure that he was okay, but as Sasuke's dark eyes met his, he remembered that they were ninjas and that they were trapped. There was no time to talk._

_Neji turned back to level his cold glare on the two men._

"_You still haven't answered my question." He growled. _

_The Hyuuga didn't like their aura; it felt full of sadistic wants and bad intent. Neji gritted his teeth. Things were not looking good. _

_The man with the short hair laughed and the sound echoed off the stone walls around them. Sasuke felt chills run up and down his spine._

"_Should we tell them, Takashi?" their green eyed captor turned to the man with long black hair. _

_Takashi stayed silent, his deep brown eyes giving his companion a hard look. The one who must be Kudo sighed. _

"_I guess it doesn't matter if you know or not, seeing as how you won't be going anywhere for a while." He started. _

_Neji frowned. He did not like the sound of that._

"_The man you killed, Sato. He was getting too big, too full of himself." Kudo sneered. "He acted as if _he_ was the one who ran this place. So when we heard that a former… employee had asked a ninja village to get rid of him, we didn't do anything to stop them. It would benefit us in the end; Sato would be gone and we would be left to run the brothel our own way. But then it got better," Kudo's gaze raked over Sasuke's body and the dark haired boy fought the urge to shrink away. Neji growled lowly and Kudo smiled. "Imagine our surprise when we realized that they had sent an Uchiha and a Hyuuga." _

_Sasuke tried to push away the fear and panic rising up in his chest, but he couldn't calm his heart as it pounded in his chest. He licked his dry lips._

"_What does it matter who we are?" he said, proud that his voice came out even and steady._

_This time, Takashi answered. _

"_Your clans are well known across the country," the long haired man said. His voice was like a deep bass, a rumbling in his chest that sounded more like a growl than anything else. "Both for their strength and their unique abilities." Takashi leered. "How much do you think people would give to have you at their mercy?" _

_At first, Neji didn't understand the man's words, but his brown eyes said it all. Neji's hands tightened into fists. They ran a _brothel_. What else would they want Neji and Sasuke for?_

_Sasuke had figured it out too and felt the cold sense of dread seep into his body. He shook his head slowly in denial._

They had to get out of here.

_Kudo smiled and walk towards them, his strides long and his heavy boots not making a sound on the cold ground. Sasuke tensed when the older man stopped in front of him. He tried to move away as Kudo reached out a large hand to cup his face, but he was _so tired_ and his body felt like lead and Sasuke _hated himself_ as Kudo's large palm brushed against his cheek._

"_Yes…" the short haired man hissed. "I can't wait to take you."_

_Sasuke's eyes widened in fear and shock as Kudo leaned forward, his hand now tangled in the younger boy's hair. The Uchiha reached up his hands to shove the other away, but his attempts were weak, his arms felt like they weighed so much more than they really did and he couldn't stop Kudo from pressing his cold, slimy lips against his._

_Neji watched the exchange with furious white eyes. The Hyuuga growled lowly in his throat and felt rage overtake him as he heard Takashi laugh behind him._

_Anger, fear, jealousy, they were all there, making his heart pound and his hands reach for his kunai as he launched himself to his feet._

They had to get out of here.

Now.

_But Neji's fingers closed around air and the Hyuuga cursed. Of course. They took their weapons away. Even so, he didn't need a knife to kill. Neji twisted around, muscles bunching, fists clenching as he kicked out a powerful leg to hit Kudo in the head. But his attack never hit. _

_Suddenly, all of his strength was gone as if sucked away. Neji fell to his hands and knees heavily, panting for breath as he struggled to stay up. His arms shook with effort as sweat matted his brow._

"_What…?" the Hyuuga gasped._

_Kudo had pulled away from Sasuke when Neji had moved and now was standing in front of the dark haired boy. Sasuke stared at the other wall in shock, his body frozen and his hands shaking. The Uchiha's head moved from side to side in denial as he felt disgust sicken his stomach. He fought for control, for that unemotional mask that he had put up so many times before, but he couldn't find it. Everything was spiralling out of their control. _

_The green eyed man was smirking, his eyes triumphant and full of sadistic pleasure. Takashi was chuckling. _

"_Those rings on your fingers control chakra. You only have as much as we give to you." Kudo said, his eyes wide and manic. _

_Only then did the two Konoha ninjas notice the cool metal rings around their middle fingers. Strange markings were carved into its flat surface and it pulsed with a strange energy. Sasuke tried to pull it off, but the ring wouldn't budge._

_Kudo laughed._

"_They won't come off when you're near us. The rings are connected to our chakra and as long as you two are inside this building," he sneered. "you will only have enough strength to do as we say."_

_Sasuke squeezed his eyes shut and pressed his hands against his forehead, trying to gain back some sense of self control. But he could feel the cold metal of the ring against his skin and it only made the panic worse._

_Neji looked over at the Uchiha, his eyes softening with worry. Damn it. This was not good. Everything. These guys had thought of everything. The Hyuuga gritted his teeth in frustration. He and Sasuke had underestimated them. _

_The two Konoha ninjas were silent as a knock came from the door. They didn't look up as Kudo and Takashi left them in the empty room, their eyes lingering too long on Neji and Sasuke's bodies to be innocent as the closed the heavy door behind them. A lock clicked into place and there was a soft flare of chakra as a seal was put around the room._

_Neji slowly pushed himself up to kneel on the hard concrete, his hands clenched in his lap. He had to figure out a way to get them out of here, but he was _so tired_ and everything felt _so hopeless._ How were they going to get home?_

_Sasuke wasn't fairing much better, he was scared, so scared that he was afraid to admit it. He just wanted this nightmare to end, for he and Neji to wake up still in that cave, curled up together for warmth as the sun slowly rose in the sky. And no matter how childish it sounded in his mind, Sasuke wished for it with all his heart._

_They couldn't stay here; they had to leave before they were forced to do something they would never forget. Sasuke bit his lip in frustration and fear. It was obvious what Kudo and Takashi had planned for him and Neji, but the Uchiha knew that he would never forgive himself if he let one of them be his first. To have that memory, even if they got out of here alive, that one memory, - one fact- would never leave him, would haunt him forever. _

_Sasuke's dark eyes traveled over to Neji as he remembered all of the things they had been through together on their journey here. His heart beat faster, but not out of fear this time, as he admitted just how close he had become to the Hyuuga, how much he felt for him._

_Neji's gaze lifted to lock with Sasuke's. The older ninja saw the fear and panic written in the younger's black depths, but Neji couldn't offer anything to calm him. Couldn't give him hope or strength or courage like Naruto could. So Neji did the only thing he could. He reached out and pulled Sasuke close to his chest, wrapping his arms around the Uchiha's lithe body and burying his nose in dark hair._

_Sasuke sighed at the contact and comfort the action brought, if only for a few moments. They sat like that in each other's embrace for what felt like an eternity before Sasuke pushed himself up to look at Neji fully._

_White met black and they were both asking a silent question. Their faces were so close that they could feel their hot breath against their lips. All of their emotions, everything they felt was said with no words. _

_There was a second's hesitation, then they both moved and their lips crashed together in a heated kiss. Hands grabbed, teeth clacked and the world fell away. Sasuke squeezed his eyes shut and clutched Neji's shoulders, pulling him impossibly closer. _

Please. Let us make it out alive.

* * *

I'm sorry for the wait. I hope this chapter made up for it. I found it very challenging to write the last half of the chapter, the part in italics. Tell me if I did okay! Thanks again for all your reviews! 

BTW, for anyone who enjoys RPing, my friend and I have opened a Vampire Naruto RP on LiveJournal. There are still many characters opened, so if anyone is interested, feel free to contact me! Don't worry, I don't bite! (sniggers)


	6. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Team Seven made their way silently through the bustling streets of Konoha, only exchanging a few words now and then. For Sasuke, the going was long and tedious. He had to always keep on the alert, had to lock onto the familiar chakra signatures of his friends and not lose them in the crowds of villagers. There were a few times when he thought he lost them, only to hear Naruto's loud voice calling him a second later. Those moments made him wish that he'd stayed home as his heart pounded in his ears. They made him yearn for Neji's company, even though it maddened the Uchiha to no end that he depended on the other so much.

At one point, they ran into Hinata, who greeted them shyly. Naruto had been delighted to see her and proceeded to fill her in with all of the day's events. It was only after Sakura threatened to turn around and go home that Naruto finally dragged himself away from the young Hyuuga. Team Seven had quickly said their goodbyes and left Hinata blushing and waving in the streets.

After what felt like an eternity, they finally reached their destination. The waterfall toward above them, thundering down into the dark blue lake below. The four ninjas stood on the rocky gravel beside it, the dense forest surrounding them like a wall. Kakashi swiftly pulled out his ever-present orange book and settled himself down at the base of a near by tree, stretching his long legs out in front of him.

"Go on and have your spar, children." He drawled, already flipping through the dog eared pages of his novel.

Two of the three younger ninjas sighed and rolled their eyes. Naruto, on the other hand, was bouncing on the balls of his feet in excitement.

"Come on, Sasuke! Let's start already!" He cried.

Sakura groaned.

"And just what am I supposed to do while you two have your little battle of testosterone?" she demanded, folding her muscled arms over his chest.

Sasuke said nothing, but Naruto answered for the both of them.

"You can just sit back and relax, Sakura-chan, and watch as I beat the crap out of the teme here." He said, grinning proudly and jerking a thumb in Sasuke's direction.

"You wish, dobe." The dark haired boy growled, swatting the blonde's hand away.

Naruto stuck out his tongue in retaliation.

"Bastard." He muttered.

Sasuke rolled his onyx eyes.

"Real mature, usuratonkachi."

Sakura threw up her arms in exasperation.

"I give up. Nothing is ever easy with you guys." The pink haired kunoichi turned and stomped over to Kakashi, grumbling under her breath as she sat down beside him. She decided that she might as well take it easy for now, for it was a sure thing that by the end of the boys' innocent spar, her healing jutsus would be in high demand.

Sasuke felt Naruto's chakra flare in excitement and anticipation and dropped slowly into a fighting stance, his heart beating hard in his ears. How was he going to pull this one off?

Sasuke's dull black eyes narrowed in determination and he clenched his teeth together hard. His long, pale fingers flexed.

_I have to keep Naruto way from the water. _

The dark haired teen readied himself, crouching lower, his own electric chakra beginning to pulse around him.

_I can't make a mistake. Just one and it will all be over._

Sasuke didn't want to imagine what would happen if he did.

Naruto smiled widely, showing off white pointed teeth. He and Sasuke faced each other, both as still as statues, as if waiting for the other to make the first move. Then they attacked, their feet pushing off the ground, dirt flying up around them as they charged. They met each other halfway with hands curled into tight fists. Blows were thrown, only to be dodged and countered not a second later. They flew apart, adrenaline rushing through their veins, their eyes wide with the thrill of the fight.

Minutes passed by without anyone noticing, all sense of time escaped them. Both were covered in sand and dirt. Naruto's hand cupped his side, where Sasuke had kneed him after the blond had landed a punch on the dark haired boy's already bruised cheek. But after regaining his breath Naruto straightened, grinning, and cracked his knuckles loudly, ready for another round.

Sweat trickled down the side of Sasuke's pale face. He was hunched over, his hands resting on his knees as he fought for air. He could hear his heavy breathing in his ears and felt the weight of his muscles. He was getting tired. It had been so long since he had such a fight. And with his condition…

The Uchiha gritted his teeth together. He had to _concentrate_. He knew he could win this.

_But he was so tired._

Sasuke was ripped from his thoughts as Naruto's hands quickly formed familiar seals. The black eyed boy silently cursed, straightening from his crouch. He heard Naruto shout.

"Shadow clone jutsu!"

And he was surrounded by copies of his friend. Sasuke clenched his hands into tight fists. This was not good.

"What's wrong, teme?" The Narutos teased in union. "Are you tired already?"

Sasuke scoffed, hiding his labored breathing and ignoring his aching muscles.

"You wish, usuratonkachi." He said.

It was the only warning he gave the blond before attacking. His hands flew out in lethal blows, taking one clone out after the other, feeling the rush of air blow his black bangs back from his face as each copy disappeared in a puff of smoke.

But they were fighting back too and it wasn't long until Sasuke felt the cool wetness of the lake through his sandals. The Uchiha swore under his breath. His hands flew through signs so quickly they were merely a blur of pale flesh.

"Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu!" Fire, hot and burning, shot from his mouth, destroying many clones as it licked through the air. The Narutos cried out in anger and surprise as the flames surrounded them.

Sasuke was forced back over the lake, only the chakra infused in his feet keeping him from falling into the dark water below. The Uchiha's heart pounded loudly in his ears, thumping like a drum in his chest. Things were going downhill- he was losing control of the battle.

Sasuke mentally berated himself. He should've known that he would be tired. He should've known that he wouldn't be able to fight all out after just returning from a long mission. But it was too late now to regret decisions made in the past. Not with Naruto bearing down on him like a predator on its prey.

Sasuke was jerked out of his thoughts as Naruto burst through the flames, his eyes slitted and blood red. The blonde's fist shot forward in a lethal punch that Sasuke only just blocked in time.

The dark haired boy grunted as he was pushed further back on the wet, slippery surface of the lake. This was not good; with every blow exchanged, more water came between him and the land.

Sasuke lashed his leg out, delivering a solid blow to Naruto's chest, sending the Kyuubi-holder skidding over the water. The Uchiha let his breath leave him in a heavy sigh of relief. He used the few seconds it took for Naruto to recover to try to gain back some of this composure, which had dwindled with his energy during the intense fight.

Sasuke knew that he was losing terribly, knew that Kakashi, Sakura and Naruto had probably noticed it as well. He knew that he shouldn't have agreed to come out in the first place. It was too early- too soon for him to be sparring like this.

Because he couldn't _see_. Couldn't fight with arms and legs that felt like lead.

He knew that if he were to fall it would all be over. The water would swallow him, surround him and pull him down and he would never find his way to the surface again.

Suddenly, Sasuke felt the lake churn. The dark haired boy shifted with the waves, trying not to lose his balance. Too late, he realized that he couldn't feel Naruto's chakra signature above the water.

Sasuke cursed vehemently as Naruto burst from the depths of the lake and grabbed his ankle. The blond haired boy swung the Uchiha around and let go, sending his team mate flying.

Sasuke fought to right himself as the wind batted at his clothes and hair, drying the sweat on his face and cooling his heated body. His jaw clenched and then Naruto was beside him, kicking out with a foot in an attack that Sasuke should have been able to dodge- something that Naruto had counted on, had expected.

But Sasuke's body was aching and his eyes were dull and blank and he didn't- _couldn't_- move in time to escape the blow. When it landed, all of his breath was forced out of him. He heard his ribs creak and crack as stars danced in front of his eyes to the sound of the pain ringing in his ears.

Sasuke tumbled downwards towards the lake, but he couldn't move, could barely breath as the water came closer and closer.

He hit the wet surface with a huge splash, but didn't feel the sting of the impact as water surrounded him and pulled him under its heavy blanket.

Neji stalked through the empty halls of the Hyuuga main house, silently fuming as he headed for his room.

It was so like his uncle to pull something like this. So predictable and typical that Neji wondered why he was surprised. Over the past few years, since finding out the truth about his father's death, Neji's relationship with Hiashi had been shaky at best. There were times when he truly thought that they could eventually work out all of the problems they had keeping them apart. It was during these times that he really felt like a part of the family that he had lost so long ago.

But then Hiashi pulled a stunt like this and any progress they'd made would go down the drain. To Neji, it was as if with every step he took forward, his uncle would take two back.

Neji turned a corner, his eyes glaring at the smooth polished wood under his socked feet. It was because of this that he didn't see the person coming the other way. He was snapped sharply from his inner musings as they collided, his head jerking up in shock. The Hyuuga stumbled back a few steps and blinked, as if waking from a daze. He was about to brush by the other when he realized who it was.

"Hinata-sama?" he said, surprise evident in his voice.

The younger ninja looked up with wide white eyes and slowly released her hold on the wall, which she had grabbed onto to keep from falling after walking into her cousin.

Hinata blushed and gave Neji a hasty bow.

"G-good after noon, Neji-nii-san. Welcome back." She stuttered out, her gaze fixed on the ground.

Neji frowned as she refused to meet his gaze, but after a few seconds of silence, he smoothed out his brow and shook his head. Now wasn't the time to lecture the girl about her lack of self confidence.

"Yes, I have been gone for a long time." He cocked his head to the side. "How have you been?"

Hinata's eyes flicked up to meet his for a second, shyly, before dropping back to their feet.

"I… I have been well. T-though…" she paused, and for a second Neji thought she wouldn't finish, but the younger Hyuuga had gotten over some of her insecurities over the years. Finally, her white gaze rose to meet his and this time she didn't look away. "It has been lonely here without you."

Neji felt his shoulders relax and a small genuine smile found its way to his face.

"I have missed you too, Hinata-sama." He said softly.

Hinata blushed happily. Encouraged by her cousin's friendliness, she kept the conversation going.

"I… was out in the market today and I ran into Naruto-kun and his team." Her face darkened further at the mention of the blond Kyuubi boy. "S-Sasuke-kun looked a bit pale though." She added, as if an afterthought. She gazed at Neji with concerned eyes. "I… Should he be out so soon after returning from the mission?" she asked.

Neji's smile grew tense as he felt dread sink into his stomach.

"Did they say where they were going?" he asked, his voice void of any emotion, hiding his worry and growing fear.

Hinata was silent for a moment as she thought. Neji's hands clenched and unclenched, the only thing showing his anxiousness. Finally, the dark haired girl replied.

"Y-yes… Naruto-kun said they were going to spar at… at the Valley of the End." She said.

Neji felt his blood run cold. It was as if a clawed hand had grabbed his heart and squeezed.

_Please, let this be a mistake._

But he knew that Hinata wouldn't lie- not to him, or anyone for that matter- and that she wouldn't have told him if she had any doubt in her mind about what she had heard.

Neji mentally shook himself. What was he doing just standing there? The Hyuuga brushed past his cousin, not looking back once or even pausing to say goodbye.

"Neji-nii-san?" he heard Hinata call after him. But he didn't stop to respond.

He nearly ran to the front door.

The wind brushed his long brown hair back from his pale face. For a second, Neji just stood there in the spacious yard of the Hyuuga compound, listening to his heart pound in his ears. Then, his eyes narrowed and his hands clenched as the worry and fear came back ten fold. A second later, he was gone.

_Sasuke… what were you thinking?_

_Days pasted slowly as Kudo and Takashi slowly picked them apart piece by piece. Nights were spent in their company, full of pain and humiliation. But in the end, Sasuke and Neji knew that they were not alone- they still had each other and no matter how cheesy and cliché it sounded, it was true. And because of that, they were able to keep going, they were able to keep their heads held high even as their tormentors forced them to their knees and ripped off their clothes._

_For even though Kudo and Takashi had taken their lives away, they had not taken their innocence. No, Neji and Sasuke had given it up willingly to each other. _

_And for some reason, that one little fact gave them the strength to stay optimistic, it gave them the will to put themselves back together after every rape, every beating. Piece by piece, it had worked._

At first.

_After what felt like years but really was only a few weeks, Neji started to notice something change in Sasuke. It was subtle, but the Hyuuga knew his partner well, so when the dark haired boy started to miss things, started to move slower and more cautiously, Neji knew something was wrong even before the younger told him._

_No, even though they had each other, even though they forced themselves to wake up and face each damned day, it only lasted a little while._

_After barely two weeks in the brothel, with no hope for rescue (for they weren't expected back for months), things started to fall apart. _

_It all started the day Sasuke woke up to darkness, thick like a blanket over his eyes. Neji remembered the day well._

_The day that Sasuke went blind._

_Out of all the times they had woken up to the sneering faces of Kudo and Takashi, out of all of the times they were forced to their knees and forced to beg for something they didn't want, the day that Sasuke lost his eyesight was the most terrifying of all._

_He woke up to nothing but unending night and knew without doubt that he was blind. __He waited for the tears to come, was ready to embrace the hopelessness and sorrow that should have brought him to his knees. When it came, it knocked his breath away and choked him with a hard iron fist. Waves of panic washed over him, drowning him in fear and disappointment. _

_For what was an Uchiha without his eyes?_

_But Sasuke__ held his screams in, smothered the cries that wanted to come out and simply turned to where he thought his companion was and sighed._

"_Neji…. I…. Where are you?" his voice was barely a whisper as he reached a hesitant hand out, feeling his way through the darkness of his vision towards the other's comforting presence. _

_Neji caught the younger ninjas hand and pulled him close, not knowing what was wrong but knowing that something was. He didn't speak as Sasuke buried his face into his chest._

"_Neji…" he said again, his voice dull and defeated. "I'm blind." _

_Neji pulled back to look at him closely and couldn't deny the blank look in Sasuke's eyes, glazed over as if covered by thin, cloudy mist. _

_But what caused it?_

_The Hyuuga's mind worked quickly, for the blindness couldn't have been random- it had to be caused by something. But no reason came to him. In his frustration, he unconsciously activated his Byakugan and suddenly the answer was obvi__ous as he stared into Sasuke's eyes. _

The chakra rings.

_The cut off the chakra in their bodies, only giving them enough to function properly every day. But for some reason, Sasuke wasn't getting enough. And, like any person's body would do, Sasuke's started to shut down the things that he didn't need in order to survive._

_In an Uchiha's case, the first thing to go was the Sharingan. _

_But the blood limit was so closely tied to Sasuke's eyes that when his body stopped transferring chakra there, his eyesight was lost as well. _

_The one good thing about the whole situation was that Sasuke's vision should come back if the chakra rings were taken off. The bad thing was that it seemed as if that wasn't going to happen any time soon. _

_Neji gritted his teeth and held Sasuke closer, cradling him in his arms in a rare show of affection. Sasuke hated feeling so helpless, but he couldn't help but clutch Neji's dirty, torn shirt between his cut fingers as he tried to will his tears away._

_This was no place to cry, no place to show weakness. It would only be thrown back in your face, but even so, Neji didn't pull away. He simply buried his face in soft black hair and prayed that Kudo and Takashi would not come for them soon._

_But things were spiraling out of their control, and just as Neji thought this, the sound of a lock being opened reached his keen ears. Neji pulled Sasuke away, hating himself more with each inch put between them. _

_Sasuke stared blankly at the ground as Takashi and Kudo strolled in, dressed in crisp black suits, the overpowering scent of heavy cologne on their chests and the smell of expensive alcohol on their breath. _

_Neji stared up at them with hard eyes, his jaw set and his hands clenched painfully at his side. As they came closer and leaned down to drag he and Sasuke to their feet, both Konoha ninjas came to the same conclusion. Neji's gaze sought out his partner's, just as Sasuke's blank eyes did the same. But the dark haired boy's stare was off and the reminder of the Uchiha's blindness was like a punch to Neji's chest. Still, both ninjas knew what the other was thinking as they tried to keep the hopelessness and defeat from killing their will and determination with one powerful sweep._

They had to get out of there. Fast.

* * *

I'm so sorry it took me so long to update this. English projects have been piling up and as we near the end of the year school is becoming more and more troublesome. Also, my computer crashed so I had to get a new one. I feel really bad throwing these excuses at you guys. This is an important chapter. The whole idea for this story basically came from the next couple of chapters. With this one, even after imagining and planning it out so many times, it was still one of the most difficult to write. I hope you guys enjoyed it.


	7. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

Total darkness, heavy like a thick blanket.

At first, Sasuke couldn't feel anything; not the sting from the impact, nor the aching in his ribs from Naruto's kick. Then, suddenly, the cold started to seep into him through his clothes and skin, chilling him right to the bone and it was as if someone had flicked on a switch. His dull eyes blinked slowly open, _but still his world was black, _and the panic finally set in.

Sasuke jerked awkwardly into action, as if abruptly wakened from a deep sleep. His pulse pounded in his ears as he started to kick, to swim, to do _anything_ to get to the surface. But the Uchiha knew, with a sinking heart, that he would never reach it.

_He was blind._

And he couldn't tell _which way was up._ This fact alone made his arms move even faster, his legs to pump even harder as desperation threatened to take a hold of him. And with each stroke, with each painful kick, with each time he blinked his eyes back open only to see nothing, he was reminded that no matter how hard he swam, for all he knew, he could be getting farther and farther away from the surface.

But Sasuke gritted his teeth and forced himself to keep moving, even if it was pointless, even if he could be going to wrong way. Because he would be _damned_ if he gave up without a fight. He had survived this far, hadn't he? He had lived through everything that life had thrown at him and he was still standing. He wouldn't give up.

_He couldn't_

Sasuke's blank eyes narrowed as sudden pain gripped his chest. He knew the ache had nothing to do with his bruised ribs.

_He'd promised Neji. _

The dark haired boy's arms worked harder, straining against the current and the weight of the water pushing against him.

_He couldn't leave him._

But his lungs were starting to burn from the lack of oxygen and he had to fight not to open his mouth and take a breath. Hopelessness threatened to take over even as he vowed to keep going.

But he was tired -s_o tired-_ and all he wanted to do was just _stop_ but he couldn't – _he couldn't._ Sasuke bit down a distressed whimper that crawled up his parched throat _He was stronger than this, he had been through _worse!

Panic made Sasuke's heart beat faster and his movements to become erratic and desperate.

_Neji…_

His lungs were on fire and he felt his strength slowly start to leave him, his will start to fade. His mouth opened in a silent scream.

* * *

Buildings flew past him in a blur, the wind whipping at his hair and face but Neji didn't pause, didn't even stop to brush his dark brown bangs out of his eyes. His hard white gaze was fixed on the thick forest standing on the horizon and he didn't dare look away. It felt so far away and to him, it wasn't getting _any closer_, not matter how fast he ran, no matter how many times he forced himself to go faster. Neji knew he was taking _too long_, but all he could do was keep running and hope –_pray-_ that he'd make it in time.

* * *

Sasuke felt as if someone was holding him in a cold embrace. His strength had run out and it felt like forever since he last took a breath. All the air was gone from his lungs – so much so that he didn't even feel the need to breathe anymore. 

The Uchiha tried to move his arms, to keep swimming even though his body felt like lead. But a sort of daze was starting to take over, a strange sense of calm that told him to just stop and close his eyes and let death take him.

Then suddenly someone was grabbing him, pulling him up roughly by his arms. Strong, bony fingers dug into his flesh as he was dragged upwards.

At first, Sasuke struggled, his mouth open in a gasp. But then his head broke the surface of the water and air filled his lungs. He sucked it in, gulped it down like a parched man. He breathed it so fast and so desperately that he choked on it, coughing raggedly. But Sasuke still opened his mouth for more.

Finally, his frantic gasps slowed into regular breaths, if just a bit heavier than normal. His body became limp as the last of his energy left him.

The last thing he felt was the rough material of Kakashi's jounin vest and the smell of earth and musty books.

Then, his mind went blank.

* * *

Neji flew through the forest, branches snagging on his clothes as he jumped from branch to branch. His hair streamed behind him as he ran- harder than he ever had in his life. He was barely a blur against the trees. 

The Hyuuga was so intent on his goal that it took him a few seconds to recognize the three distinct chakra signatures heading his way. Neji frowned. No, there was a fourth one, but it was weak.

His white eyes widened in horror as realization dawned on him. He left the trees and fell to the ground below, landing gracefully in a crouch, leaves spinning around him. The brown haired teen straighter to his full height, his jaw set and his face devoid of any emotion.

Barely seconds later, Team Seven was standing before him.

Kakashi's one eye was narrowed in contemplation as he looked at the Hyuuga in front of him. In his arms he held Sasuke securely against his chest, the unconscious boy just barely breathing. Naruto and Sakura stopped beside him, their young faces etched with worry. They turned to Neji with confusion, clearly not understanding the situation at all.

But Kakashi knew. He had suspected it from the moment he laid eyes on his black haired student for the first time in six months. His grey eye met Neji's blank ones.

"How long has Sasuke been blind?" he demanded, ignoring the looks of shock his two other students gave him.

Neji let out a heavy sigh, his shoulders slumping in defeat. So, Kakashi had figured it out. Really, he wasn't surprised. The Hyuuga shook his head.

"For about four months at the least." He said quietly, his gaze fixed on the ground. Neji mulled over his words, wondering what he should tell, how much he _could_ tell without giving everything away. "It was caused by rings that sealed off our chakra." He explained. "Because of Sasuke's Sharingan and the connection it has with his eyes, his vision slowly faded away." He raised his eyes to meet Kakashi's once again. "After the rings were removed, we hoped that his sight would return…"

Kakashi frowned. Neji wasn't telling the whole story and the jounin knew it. He knew that the two were keeping something from them. The silver haired man straightened.

"We're taking him to the Hokage." He said briskly, his voice serious and grave. "You can explain to _her_ what happened." Then, he took off, dirt and leaves swirling around the place where he stood moments before.

Neji gave a small nod before turning and following the older man. Naruto and Sakura exchanged frowns of concern and puzzlement before leaping into the trees.

* * *

"It's his chakra." 

Neji's brows furrowed in confusion at Tsunade's announcement. He and the remaining members of Team Seven had been sitting outside her office in a tense silence for nearly an hour while the Hokage examined Sasuke in the other room. It had been the longest sixty minutes of Neji's life, and the confused looks Sakura and Naruto had constantly sent him didn't help.

Tsunade shook her head.

"I don't know what's causing it, but it's draining him of the chakra he needs in order to function." She explained. Her lips pressed into a tight line. "And to counter that, his body has started to shut down various things in order to survive. His eyes, for example." Tsunade rubbed her temples and sighed. "But even though we know what's happening, I can't figure out what is making this happen." She turned her amber eyes to Neji. "You said something about chakra rings."

The Hyuuga nodded stiffly, but didn't elaborate. Kakashi rolled his eyes at the other's silence and leaned against the wall. Naruto let out a frustrated growl.

"Come on, Neji! How can Tsunade-baa-chan help if you don't _tell_ her anything?" he demanded, throwing his arms up in the air in exasperation.

Neji stared at the ground, his jaw clenched tightly. He didn't want to tell them. He didn't want them to find out what… what he and Sasuke had been through. He had promised the Uchiha that they would keep it a secret for now, but now the younger teen was suffering because of it.

What was he supposed to do?

* * *

_Neji had long lost all sense of time. He couldn't even remember what month it was, let alone the day or hour. _

_Takashi and Kudo had started employing them to various customers that came to the brothel. To Neji and Sasuke though, it was just the same as spending a night with their two captors. _

_There were those who fit right in, who helped pick apart the two teen's souls piece by piece. Then there were the times that they were faced with people so nice that they had to wonder why they came to such a dark place._

_Neji remembered one such man clearly. The Hyuuga had walked into the dimly lit room of the brothel expecting another one of Takashi's slimy clients, his hands dirty and his lips pinched together in a sick sneer. But instead there sat a man in his late twenties at most, his shoulder length brown hair smooth and silky. His chocolate eyes were warm and they twinkled with good humour and happiness. He was dressed in a simple, but crisp navy blue suit. Neji had been baffled at he man's clean appearance and welcoming gaze. That encounter had been one of the least painful the young Hyuuga had ever faced._

_Afterwards, they sat on the bed in an almost comfortable silence, their brows sweaty and their clothes thrown about the ground. The man puffed slowly on a thick cigar and after a moment, he turned his doe like eyes to Neji's and spoke._

"_I have to wonder," he said in his deep smooth voice. "What someone as proud and beautiful as you is doing in a place like this." _

_Neji raised an eyebrow._

"_I could ask you the same thing." He retorted. _

_The man chuckled and nodded._

"_Touché."_

_That night stayed with Neji for a long time afterwards. He shared the experience with Sasuke and realized why it was so significant. It showed that not all in the world was bad or evil._

It gave them hope.

_And the needed it badly, like a starving man needed food, for even though Sasuke was adjusting quickly to his loss of sight, it was becoming harder and harder to hide. The Uchiha was learning how to cope without his eyes faster than Neji thought possible, but at the same time, his black pools were getting darker and darker. So dark that the pupils were nearly invisible. Soon, his eyes would be blank and his blindness would be obvious. _

_And in this world full of unanswered questions and uncertain futures, there was one thing that Neji knew for sure:_

They were running out of time.

"_What are we supposed to do?" Sasuke asked one night when Neji brought the subject up. _

_The Hyuuga looked away, frowning._

"_I don't know yet. But we have to get out of here soon." He turned back to his companion-partner-lover and his eyes narrowed further at his appearance. _

_Though they were provided with new clothes and showers, that didn't hide the toll the mission was taking on their bodies. Sasuke's dull eyes had dark circles underneath them and his arms were bony and thin. His pale skin seemed even whiter in the dim lighting of their cell and he looked so frail that Neji feared he would break any second._

_Neji felt something inside him break at the sight. This shouldn't be them. They shouldn't have to go through this. Reaching out, he pulled Sasuke closer, wrapped his arms around his skinny frame to mould him against his chest. The Hyuuga buried his face in Sasuke's ebony haired and squeezed his eyes shut. Sasuke made a small noise of surprise at the sudden embrace but soon relaxed, breathing in Neji's earthy scent and drowning in his protective presence._

_Neji's white eyes opened slowly and he felt Sasuke stiffen. They had both heard it. Heavy booted feet on marble tiles. His arms tightened around the younger one as he glared at the locked door as the knob started to turn. The long haired ninja felt Sasuke sigh against his chest and he made up his mind._

They were leaving. They had wasted enough of their lives in this hellhole. It was time to go home.

**TBC**

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* * *

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Sorry for the wait. School was weighing me down. Thanks to everyone who's read and reviewed this! (Bows) This chapter was a little shorter than the others, but as some of you might see, it had to be ended where it was.


	8. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

Neji wrung his hands together, his brow furrowed in worry and frustration. He was sitting in a hospital room at the foot of Sasuke's clean white bed. Plain, bleached walls surrounded them, suffocating like the chemical smell of medicine and drugs.

The chair he was sitting in was uncomfortable and the room silent except for the metronome beeping of the machines beside him.

Tsunade had given him some time to think and had moved Sasuke to the village hospital to keep a closer eye on him. The rest of Team Seven were in the waiting room and probably feeling just as anxious as Neji was.

Neji ran a hand through his hair and sighed heavily. His gaze drifted over to his lover's still form. The Hyuuga slowly pushed himself to his feet and stepped quietly over to the side of the bed. Sitting delicately on the edge, Neji let his hand reach up to brush over Sasuke's pale cheeks (too pale).

"What am I supposed to do?" he whispered as his fingers pushed the Uchiha's messy bangs from his face.

His only answer was Sasuke's laboured breathing. Neji's hand dropped to his side and he looked away to stare blankly at the floor. He hated this- hated not knowing what was wrong.

It struck Neji then just how far he and the Uchiha had come since they had took the mission just six months ago. Who knew that so much could happen in half a year? When they had first left Konoha, he and Sasuke had been anything but close; some could even say that they were near enemies. But look at them now…

What had made it change? Being forced to spend time together? Finding out just how similar they were? Or was it all the things that they were put through, that they faced side by side.

What ifs flashed through Neji's mind. What if he hadn't taken the mission? What if someone else was assigned to be Sasuke's partner? They would have never talked to each other, let alone…. Fall in love.

Neji snorted and shook his head. Who knew that two of Konoha's coldest ninjas would find completion with each other? Even to him it sounded ridiculous.

But it was true and as the Hyuuga's gaze drifted back to Sasuke's sleeping face (his long lashes brushing his cheeks, his red lips parted slightly) Neji knew that he didn't wish it any other way.

The fact was that it happened. He and Sasuke had been to hell and back together and now…

Neji's eyes narrowed in self-loathing and worry.

Now, Sasuke was suffering and there was nothing he could do about it. All he could do was sit here like a helpless, lovesick idiot, remembering those stupid moments that brought them together, and questioning fate and thinking '_what if'._ This is why he had never wanted to feel like this, this is why he had avoided it -

"Neji?"

The Hyuuga was so deep in his thoughts that the quiet voice caused him to jump. Immediately, he was standing over Sasuke, his hand clutching the other's pale one.

"Sasuke..." he whispered. "What happened?"

Sasuke frowned, blinking in the darkness that surrounded him. Where was he? From the chemical smells that reached his nose and crisp sheets that lay under his hands he had a pretty good guess. He shook his head, trying to get his thoughts in order. The last thing he could remember was sparring with Naruto, then falling into the lake... drowning….

The Uchiha turned his face away from Neji, scowling.

"I made a mistake…" he muttered, feeling stupid and weak. "It was so dumb of me… How could I agree to fight Naruto in the state I'm in?" he said bitterly more to himself than Neji. "And at the Valley of the End… God I'm pathetic."

Neji squeezed Sasuke's hand hard with his and resisted the urge to slap the younger.

"Sasuke, don't say such silly things." He growled. "You and I both know that you've come a far way ever since you've lost your sight-"

Sasuke cut him off sharply.

"Yes, but it hasn't come back yet, has it?" he spat, turning back to face Neji.

The older boy's mouth opened before he realized that he had no retort. His jaw snapped closed with an audible click as hopelessness attempted to make his heart sink.

Sasuke sighed heavily at Neji's silence and reached his free hand up to run down his tired, pale face.

"Neji…" he whispered and if one could break simply by saying one word, Neji was sure that Sasuke had just shattered into millions of jagged pieces. "What's wrong with me?"

The long haired ninja's eyes softened and he moved to sit on the edge of the bed once again, his hand still laced with the dark eyed teen's.

"We don't know, Sasuke, but Tsunade's working on it." He said in a voice that he hoped sounded comforting. His brows furrowed as he thought of the Hokage.

Sasuke frowned and as if hearing Neji's thoughts, said: "She wants to know the truth, doesn't she?"

The older boy looked away as if in shame. Sasuke stayed silent. An awkward silence followed that was only broken after many tense moments.

"I didn't tell her anything." Neji said quietly.

The answer was instantaneous.

"I know."

The Hyuuga sighed and ran a hand through his long hair.

"But… Sasuke… We have to." He finally said, turning to look back at the younger's indifferent face. "You're sick and-"

Sasuke scowled deeply.

"I don't want to." He was being childish and they both knew it, but the Uchiha was too tired to care.

Neji frowned at the other's retort.

"Sasuke, we barely have a choice." He said, trying not to snap at the other teen. He shook his head. "Hell, we don't have a choice _at all_. You're sick," he said again. "And you're not getting better. You're getting worse, if anything at all."

Sasuke closed his eyes (not like it made any difference to him, he thought bitterly) and let out a loud, explosive sigh, trying to rein in his temper and not shout- He knew that Neji was right (he always was) and that he was only looking out for him. But that didn't make the decision any easier to make.

The Uchiha didn't want anyone- _anyone-_ to ever find out what had happened to he and Neji on that mission; didn't even want to remember it himself. It was as if by pretending that the whole thing had never happened, it would make it true.

But just running away from the past wouldn't make it go away; Sasuke knew that, he had lived it for nearly his whole life. Frustration gnawed at him, making him fidgety and negative. He hated this- hated knowing what was _right_, yet thinking the opposite thing.

Sasuke rubbed his left hip absently and abruptly got to his feet, nearly knocking Neji over in the process. He felt the weight of the Hyuuga's stare on him as he swung his legs over the side of the bed and carefully got to his feet.

He was expecting the hand that fell heavily on his shoulder a mere second later.

"Sasuke, what are you doing?" Neji demanded, moving to stand in front of the shorter boy. "You have to rest."

The Uchiha shook his head and brushed the older one's hand off, moving away. He felt too hot, like he had the worst fever spreading through his head. Sasuke stumbled and reached out for something to hold onto. Neji was immediately there, at his side, like always.

He felt the brown haired ninja's arms wrap around him and blearily heard his worried voice calling for him, but it seemed fuzzy and far away.

He was burning. _It was too hot_. Like something was spreading fire from the bottom up. Sasuke let out a small groan of pain, falling limp.

Neji's eyes widened and he called louder, frantically brushing the sweaty bangs from Sasuke's face; holding his pale, clammy cheek; anything to get him to respond. Suddenly, the younger boy became a dead weight and Neji felt his heart sink in dread.

"Tsunade!" he yelled, knowing that he had to _get up_ and find her, but not wanting to leave Sasuke in the state he was in. "Tsunade!!"

* * *

_Things were going well- moving nicely. They were finally starting to move, starting to take action after so many wasted days spent in the darkness._

_They were gathering supplies for their escape from various customers- those people who are the ones that seem too _good_ for a sinful place like this. In exchange, they would offer extra services for free. _

_So far, they have managed to keep their progress a secret, hiding the items in the furthest corner of their cell, under piles of old, ripped and dirty clothes. _

_Sasuke was starting to get more independent, he was getting used to living and coping without his eyesight. The Uchiha instead relied on his other senses to navigate through the long hallways of the brothel. It surprised Neji sometimes just how easy the younger boy made it look. _

_For weeks they spent mapping out exits while they slowly put together enough supplies to last them until they made it back to Konoha. They were so _close_ that they spent days with their hearts thumping madly in anticipation._

_Neji met the man again days before he and Sasuke had planned to leave. Somehow, the older male knew that the something was different that day. He studied Neji with those warm brown eyes like melted chocolate for a long while before speaking. When he did, his silky voice was laced with amusement and simple curiosity._

"_And just what has made you so fidgety today, Neji-san?" he asked._

_The long haired boy had looked up at him in shock and for a moment debated whether or not to tell the truth. Finally, he answered._

"_I'm leaving this place." He said indifferently. "My partner and I… we don't belong here."_

_The man had chuckled, a sound that seemed to come straight from his chest. _

"_No, you don't." he said, cocking his head to the side so that his brown hair fell over his eyes. "So, what do you need?"_

_Neji's eyes widened again and he blinked. _

"_What… do I…" he stuttered, feeling very much like his younger cousin._

_The man laughed again at the younger's reaction and decided to give the poor boy a break. "What can I get for you that will help you get away from this place?" _

_Neji shook his head._

"_You don't have to get me anything. We've got nearly everything we need already." He said, quickly. _

_He didn't want to ask this man for anything. For some reason, it felt wrong. The older male had already given Neji the most important thing- _hope_, no matter how sappy or weak that sounded, because in a place like this, hope was one of the most valuable things one could receive._

"_Ah, Neji-san." The man sighed, his voice wistful and affectionate. _

_The Hyuuga shook his head._

"_Really, I don't want to cause any trouble." He said, trying not to sound dismissive._

_The man chuckled again and the sound was so warm that Neji felt himself unconsciously relax._

"_Well then, I'll just have to help you in my own way, then." The man smiled, his chocolate eyes sparkling with amusement. _

"_Neji?"_

_A soft touch to the shoulder. The long haired male snapped out of his thoughts and looked up at Sasuke, blinking, as if waking from a daze. _

"_Sorry." He mumbled. "I was just thinking…"_

_They were sitting in their cell- the very same room that they had woken in that first day. It felt like years had passed since they had gotten here- since they had last been outside or seen the sky. Neji was looking forward to that the most- to finally be able to breathe the fresh air and just _run_ for miles and miles. _

_They had gathered everything that they needed, but one thing still stood in their way. How would they get out? Sure, they had weapons- Sasuke had managed to get some kunai and shuriken from a ninja customer, but their captors still had one thing over them. Neji glanced down on the faded ring on his hand and frowned. Just one hand sign and it would be over. _

_But Neji knew that they only had one chance- they could only use the element of surprise once. _

_Sasuke raised a brow at his companion's silence before shrugging and turning away to grab a small, dingy bag filled with all of the supplies they had collected. "Ready to go, then?" he asked, moving to heft the bag over his shoulder._

_Neji stopped him and took the heavy object himself. Sasuke opened his mouth to protest but snapped it shut a second later. The Uchiha hated feeling inferior or weak. He resented the fact that he couldn't do all the things that Neji could- not anymore. But now was not the time to argue. He bit his frustration down and forced it away._

_He was just about to get to his feet when the door burst open, sharp light flooding into the room._

_Neji and Sasuke froze, their hearts hammering in their chests. _

"_Oh.. And what do we have here?" came Kudo's sneering voice. Sasuke scowled deeply as the man laughed sickeningly. "Two mice trying to escape from their cage?" he nearly was doubled over with mirth. "That's _pathetic._"_

_Takashi just shook his head, though Neji could see his thin, greasy lips pulled up in a smirk. The Hyuuga's fingers twitched- itching to reach for the weapons hiding in his dirty clothes._

"_Nice try, you two but the game ends here." Kudo was saying, stepping further into the room. Neji felt Sasuke stiffen and press closer to his side, he could practically hear their two heartbeats pounding off the long walls. Kudo cracked his knuckles threateningly. "I think it's time to teach our little _pets_ just how useless they are…" he growled, his mouth pulling back into a sneer. _

_Neji felt his stomach churn in disgust and fear. It was over. It was all over- all of their effort had been for nothing. _

_Then came a loud, sickening crash from underneath them. The whole building shook in the aftermath, throwing Neji and Sasuke to their knees and causing Kudo to slam into the wall. Kudo spun around to the hall, anger radiating off him in waves. _

"_What the _fuck_ is going on here?!" he yelled as people ran screaming down the corridor. _

_A group of employees surrounded the door, their eyes wide with fear and shock. They grabbed Kudo and Takashi's arms, pointing and yelling._

"_There was-"_

"_And explosion!"_

"_Help, please!"_

"_It's knocked down a whole wall-"_

_Takashi and Kudo were shouting orders and some men ran off to carry out their tasks. Neji turned to Sasuke and grabbed his hand, giving the pale fingers a strong squeeze. Sasuke's blank eyes turned to him, unseeing. But even though their eyes didn't meet, they seemed to come to a silent understanding. Neji reached up slowly to brush back stray strands of the younger's limp black hair. He let his hand drop to his side again and set clenched his jaw in determination._

"_Let's go."_

_The two ninjas were on their feet in seconds, charging at the door. They felt like they were barely moving at all- it was hard just to run with their chakra cut off, but then they were slipping between Kudo and the door, ducking through the mass of people surrounding the two men and they were running down the hallway, Neji nearly dragging Sasuke behind him._

_As they stumbled down the stairs, their hearts in their throats, the heard Kudo and Takashi's outraged shouts, could almost _see_ them in their minds, running after them, activating the rings._

_But there were too many people- too many scrabbling bodies, panicked and afraid. As Kudo and Takashi raised their hands to form the seals, they were stopped by their own workers, who grabbed at their arms and pulled them in the opposite direction, to where the explosion had sounded, nearly mad with terror and shock._

_Neji and Sasuke reached the first floor. It was chaos. People were running everywhere, knocking over golden statues and couches and chairs. The Hyuuga pushed his way through the heaving crowd and felt his hand slip on Sasuke's. For a second, they were separated and Neji turned and called out for him, but he couldn't stop running- now that he started his body couldn't stop. It was too hard but Sasuke was missing, was being lost in the crowd, dragged in the opposite direction as if he were drowning in a river of people._

"_Sasuke!!" Neji screamed, turning around again and again, hating not being able to use his Byakugan. "SASUKE!"_

_A cold hand suddenly gripped, sweaty and bony. It held him so tightly that he could feel his bones grind against each other. Neji spun around and Sasuke was there, his hair plastered to his pale face, panting. The older boy stared at him and felt relief wash over him. He reached out with his free hand as if in a daze._

"_Neji, come on!" the Uchiha cried, nearly screaming, his eyes wide with adrenaline._

_Sasuke's cry snapped Neji out of his daze and he closed his finger's over the younger's. His eyes darted around the crowded room, searching for the exit- any exit. Finally, his gaze landed on a door- _the back one-_ where people were streaming out of. He tightened his hold on Sasuke's hand and ran, ran as hard as he ever had in his life, his eyes fixed on the door, their way out and his legs were _aching, _burning but they were getting closer and he could smell the night air._

_Then, they were bursting out of the building that had held them captive for half a year and Sasuke was right behind him, nearly shouting in relief. They were a mess, staggering and falling against each other, but they were still running, still moving and they were _free_ they were _finally out.

_Neji ran down the pathway, through the mass of people bumping into each other and screaming. He pulled him and Sasuke off of the road and to the trees, where they would be safe, would disappear and never come back._

_Just as they reached the safety of the forest, Neji looked back one last time, wondering, for a second, just what had caused the explosion to occur. His mind flashed to the man- the man that seemed too good for a place like that, the man with the warm melted chocolate eyes and deep, smooth voice._

* * *

I'm sorry that this took so long to get out. I don't really have an excuse so hopefully the fact that I updated (eventually) will make up for it. I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter; I had a lot of fun writing that last part and would love to know how it turned out. I expect this story to have ten chapters in all, so there's about three more left. And yes, a new pen-name for me. I thought it was time for a change. (sweatdrop) Thanks to everyone's who's read and reviewed and fav'ed Take it Back. (huggles)

BTW, this is un-betaed (all my chapters are) so if you see any grammar/spelling mistakes feel free to tell me, I'd appreciate it!


	9. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

It was nearly chaos and Neji had never felt so useless. Nurses were rushing in and out of the bleached white room, carrying clipboards and needles and IVs and asking questions too rushed for Neji to understand. He stood by the wall, where he had been pushed out of the way by his harried Hokage. He stayed stiffly still, out of the way, doing nothing because he out of everything he could do- _kill, track, steal_- he couldn't save Sasuke from an enemy he couldn't see.

The pandemonium in the room got to such a confused state of worried woman and confused men in white that Tsunade ordered everyone out, her voice threatening and low.

Neji lingered at the door as she bent over Sasuke, her hand glowing with green chakra. The Hyuuga's hands were clenched into fists so tight that his blunt nails dug into the pale skin of his palm. But he ignored the pain- barely noticed it with his heart beating so fast. His white eyes never left the Hokage and her patient.

After what felt like an eternity, Tsunade stepped away from the bed with a frustrated sigh. Neji waited with strained patience for the questions he knew would come. Distantly, he could hear Team Seven's worried voices; Naruto's by far the loudest. But they seemed much farther away than just down the hall. Even Naruto's usually piercing shouts were muffled compared to the thundering roar of Tsunade's confusion in his ears.

The blond woman turned to him, her amber eyes narrowed in thought. Finally, she spoke.

"His chakra is being blocked." She stated. It wasn't a question, just a fact. Neji didn't say anything and just concentrated on keeping his emotionless mask in place. Tsunade looked at the Hyuuga hard, her gaze searching. She was quiet for a very long time before she spoke again. Neji knew what she was going to ask before she even opened her mouth to say it. "What happened on that mission?"

Neji hadn't realized he had been holding his breath until he released it in an explosive sigh. Here he had to make a decision. Keep his and Sasuke's secret or tell. He didn't want to go against the Uchiha's wishes- didn't want to reveal their horrifying story to anyone when it had just ended.

But Sasuke was sick and the only way he was able to help was to tell Tsunade what she wanted to know.

Neji stared at the floor and licked his suddenly dry lips.

"Like you, we thought the mission was going to be easy." He started slowly. "We weren't lying when we told you that we ran into some complications…"

Neji didn't know how long he talked for, but it seemed like only seconds had passed since he started. Though through the hospital window, he watched the sun slowly become lower in the sky with every passing word. Its lazy red rays shone thickly through the glass as it descended behind the building across from them.

His face was schooled into an expressionless mask as he finally became quiet. Tsunade was silent and the Hyuuga was surprised to find her face just as blank as his. The brown haired teen wanted to break their coolly locked eyes, but his pride kept him from looking away.

The Hokage seemed torn between being professional and being concerned for the two boys who- _she didn't want to think about it._

_So young…_

Anger swelled up in her- anger at the sick bastards that did this to her shinobi and anger at herself for sending Neji and Sasuke on that damned mission in the first place. But she pushed all the guilt and anger and worry away. She had no time to feel so.

"You said they attached rings to you that cut off your chakra." She said slowly, as if deep in thought.

Neji nodded.

"And that is when Sasuke lost his sight." Tsunade frowned. "But you took those rings off, correct?" Her cat-like amber eyes turned their narrowed stare to the sleeping Uchiha. "So whatever is causing him to lose consciousness like this is the same thing preventing him from recovering his vision…" she was talking quietly and quickly under her breath, as if thinking out loud instead of speaking to the young Hyuuga.

The said teen was listening with tensed shoulders and white knuckled fists.

"We already thought about this- I don't know what's causing it. The rings are off, we destroyed them miles away from here." He was getting frustrated- all this discussion and they were just going around in circles.

Tsunade gave Neji a cool stare that made the Hyuuga instantly become tense.

"Did you consider the idea of another method of preventing Sasuke of accessing his chakra?" She said quietly.

Neji froze and for a second he forgot how to breathe as worry, anger and confusion crashed through him. Finally, he let his breath out in a violent sigh through his teeth.

"No. They didn't put anything else on me or-"

"But what if it was just Sasuke?"

Dread pooled in Neji's stomach like black tar, a feeling so sickening and dark that he could taste it in his mouth. The long haired boy shook his head slowly, not willing to believe what seemed so obvious now.

"I think I would remember that happening." He said coolly, his voice level and guarded.

Tsunade shook her head, unfazed by his detached response.

"Did they ever separate you two?" she asked curtly, all business. "Were there any times that you were not together?

Neji's lips pressed into a thin line as memory after memory replayed itself in his head unbidden, and they only served to further prove the Hokage's theory. The two shinobi fell into a tense silence where the only thing that could be heard in the plain white room was the clock ticking on the wall.

Neji finally sighed, his shoulders slumping in defeat.

"Yes." He breathed.

Both were quiet for a long time as the truth started to fully sink in. Tsunade's face was unreadable, a mask of rock. Neji himself found it hard to keep up his impassive stare as emotion after emotion burned through him.

_How could he have been so _blind?

Neji closed his eyes tightly, fighting against waves of self-hate.

_Why hadn't he noticed it sooner?_

Suddenly, as if on cue, Sasuke's pale body started to convulse. The machines surrounding his bedside screamed in agony and flashed bright red lights across the white walls. Tsunade was at his side in an instant, fighting to calm the unconscious boy as the IV tube in his arm was thrown into the air as his body arched off the bed.

Neji watched with worried white eyes, helpless once again. He hated it. He hated not being able to do _anything_ at all, to be so useless when help was needed so badly.

The nurses and doctors were back, running in and crowding around the Uchiha, blocking his view. And then he couldn't stand it anymore. Couldn't stand being on the sidelines _every time this happened._ Couldn't stand not being able to do_ anything_ but watch as the most important person in his life suffered.

He moved forwards, his strides long and determined. The Hyuuga pushed through the hoard of people dressed in white, knocked them out of the way even as they shouted in protest. He kept gong until he could see Sasuke- _pale, pale, much too pale Sasuke-_ The Sasuke that was _his and his alone _and was dying because he had been too blind-_ more blind than Sasuke whose world was made up of darkness-_ too ignorant to see that there was something wrong.

Neji felt something pierce his chest as he watched Sasuke writhe on the bed, his skinny hand curled into a fist around his left hip.

His left hip that he was forever rubbing.

His left hip that had been bothering him ever since they come home.

Tsunade was asking him something, was yelling it at his face, but Neji couldn't tear his gaze away as it finally clicked. He opened his mouth to speak, but it was dry and all he could get out was a small gasp.

But the Hokage was quick, much quicker than people gave her credit for, and when the Hyuuga didn't answer she followed his gaze to Sasuke's hip.

Seconds later she was prying the Uchiha's hand away, even as he dug his nails into his flesh in protest. But he was weak in his unconscious state and his grip finally slipped away.

And there it was, as clear as if it had been drawn just a day before: a large black seal on Sasuke's side, pulsing darkly, painfully. So much so that it hurt simply to look at it.

Tsunade turned to Neji, her expression cool and her lips tight. The Hyuuga could barely tear his eyes away from his lover, but the Hokage's words were enough to snap his gaze up to her face.

"If we don't get that seal off him, he'll die."

* * *

_They had been running for what felt like forever, but neither dared to slow down until the bright flames from the brothel was just a small dot on the dark horizon. _

_Sasuke was the one who stopped first, finally yanking his hand out of Neji's tight grip. The Uchiha stumbled to a halt, his breath ragged and strained. Too far gone to care about pride- _he had lost that a long time ago-_ he collapsed onto the ground, his black hair sticking to his face with sweat._

_Neji turned to face the younger, his own hair a wild mess around his glowing white eyes. _

"_Sasuke, we can't stop-"_

"_Do you know how hard it is to run when you're blind?" Sasuke snapped, his blank eyes glaring at the ground._

_The Hyuuga breathed a deep sigh and sat down gingerly beside the tired teen, much closer than comrades, too close for mere friends. He leaned in to peer at Sasuke from beneath the Uchiha's dark bangs, his own brown hair falling over his shoulder to tickle at Sasuke's neck. _

"_Sorry." He sighed, exasperated with himself. "I just don't want to come this far only to be caught again." _

_Sasuke shook his head._

"_We won't be caught." He said and his voice left no room for questioning. _

_Neji gave a low chuckle at the other's determination. _Even after everything they'd been through._ His mind started to wonder, but was caught by Sasuke as the younger twirled the chakra ring on his finger. The Hyuuga's heart sped up as he reached out and carefully slipped the band from the dark haired boy's long digit. Sasuke froze and flexed his hand as Neji let the ring fall to the ground. After a moment's pause, the black eyed ninja felt around for Neji's hand to do the same to him._

_The two were quiet for a long time, just listening to each other's breaths. It was as if it had suddenly dawned on them what had just happened. In all the rush and adrenaline of their escape, it hadn't had a chance to sink in. It was only now, with the restricting rings off their bodies, with them finally free at last did they realize _just what had happened.

"_Neji…" Sasuke whispered, so lowly that it was barely a murmur against the wind. "We…"_

_Neji swallowed the lump in his throat, giving a short nod before he remembered that his companion couldn't see him. He wrapped his arms carefully around the younger boy and pulled him tight to his chest, burying his face in Sasuke's thick black hair._

"_Yes." He sighed. "It's over." _

_Sasuke lifted his face until he could feel Neji's skin against his lips. He ran his mouth along the older's neck to his cheek, following a mental trail that was his only guide. Neji's eyes fluttered closed as he leaned down and met the other halfway in a slow kiss that said everything and anything and left no room for words._

_The Hyuuga carefully lowered Sasuke to the mossy ground of the forest, leaves crunching under their weight. He rested his elbows on either side of the dark haired boy's face as he slanted his lips to deepen the kiss. Their breathing became heavier as their mouths became for demanding and Sasuke reached up to tangle his hands in Neji's hair, as if searching for a way to ground himself as his world spun out of control._

_Finally, after what felt like an eternity, they parted and Neji's hair fell around them like a veil, separating them from reality. The white eyed boy touched his forehead softly to the younger's and was dimly surprised to find a small smile on his face._

_"It's over." _

**TBC**

* * *

I apologize to all of the readers for the long wait. I shouldn't have left this chapter hanging for so long, but summer made me lazy and then school decided to take over my life. I promise that I'll try my best to make updates more regular. Some people worry that I've discontinued this fic and I would like to ease those worries. I never stop a fic halfway through and I'll definitely finish this one, no matter how long it takes me.

Thank you so much for everyone who's read and reviewed this story! It really makes my day when I come home to a review. I love your feedback. Thanks again! I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter; I myself am still trying to figure out what to think of it. Comments are welcome and adored!


	10. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

"I have to go back."

Tsunade froze at the Hyuuga's words, her amber eyes slowly rising from Sasuke to Neji's face. For a moment, neither of them said anything, their eyes locked; one determined, one suspicious. Finally, the Hokage shook her head in disbelief.

"There's no way in hell I'm letting you-"

"Forgive me, Tsunade-sama, but there really isn't any time to recruit anyone else." Neji said flatly, his face schooled into an emotionless mask. Only his fisted hands betrayed his worry and anxiousness.

The older woman's eyes narrowed, but both of them knew that the Hyuuga was right. It would take far too much time to find another ninja to go. Plus the fact that said ninja would have to be completely filled in on the current situation made the idea seem ridiculous.

Tsunade wanted to scream in frustration, caught between being a leader and being a friend; indifference and worry. After minutes of tense silence, the Hokage finally gave a long sigh. She could tell by the hard set of his jaw that Neji would go whether she agreed or not.

"Hyuuga Neji, I assign you with the mission to find those responsible for Uchiha Sasuke's current illness and retrieve the cure by any means necessary." Her voice was cold and firm, but her eyes soft and concerned.

Neji gave his Hokage a curt bow, his long hair falling gently over his shoulder. He brushed it back behind his ear as he straightened.

"Understood." He said, his gaze once again meeting the other's. There was a short pause, before he allowed himself the smallest of smiles.

"Thank you." He murmured, so quiet that if she hadn't been waiting for it, Tsunade might have missed the softly spoken words.

She gave the younger a smirk, pushing away her worries and doubts. "Get going, Hyuuga, that's an order."

* * *

Neji was out of the village in fifteen minutes, the image of Sasuke –_ pale, pale Sasuke-_ lying unconscious between bleach white hospital sheets fresh in his mind. He rushed through the trees, pushing himself faster even after he reached his limit. He couldn't waste any time- Sasuke didn't have time. Worry and anxiousness made his aching legs seem like nothing. 

It had taken him and Sasuke nearly two weeks to get to their destination the last time. Neji had to make it there in half the time. He hadn't had much time to recover from his journey home -hadn't had any at all really- and he could feel his energy fall with each step he took.

Still, he pushed on.

Still, he never let his pace falter; never stopped for anything other than the few hours of sleep he needed to keep going.

Because he should've _seen it_, should've been able to tell that something was wrong. Neji cursed his blindness, hated himself for his stupidity. How could he say that he loved Sasuke if he didn't even know when he was hurt? If he couldn't even help him? Save him?

If Sasuke died…

Neji would never forgive himself.

His white eyes narrowed in cold determination. If he couldn't save Sasuke- the only one he ever felt love for- if Sasuke died because of his blindness, then Neji would follow him into the blissful emptiness of death.

The sun had just set when Neji reached his destination. There were no clouds in the navy sky and the stars shone brightly from above. It would have been peaceful had Neji been there on a different day- with different intentions. He didn't even pause to look up at the pale moon; he couldn't waste time on such trivial things. He knew where he had to go.

The brothel's many lights made the streets seem even darker, as if it were feeding the night rather than dispelling it. Neji slipped through the shadows silently to the too familiar building, his feet barely touching the ground as he made his way to the side of the brothel.

The sound of voices, hushed whispers of dark promises, reached his ears from the windows above. A couple passed behind him, speaking in low murmurs and holding hands. Neji didn't even spare them a glance, just stood patiently in the shade of the building until they disappeared from sight. Once he could neither hear nor see them any more he leaped up onto a dark window five stories up, landing on the ledge with the quietest of _thump_s.

It was easy to ease the window open and slip inside. The room was dark and empty. Its thick carpeted floor felt soft under Neji's feet as he made his way swiftly to the door and stepped out into the dimly lit hallway. The Hyuuga breathed in deeply, and took a step-

"Neji-san?"

Neji froze and slowly turned towards the voice, keeping his expression calm and controlled even as his heart pounded in his ears. A young boy, maybe two or three years younger than him stood with a confused expression on his almost effeminate face. It was one of the brothel's employees. Neji forced a small smile.

"Ah, Kim, it's good to see you." He said.

Kim frowned.

"Why are you here? I thought you left-"

Neji quickly interrupted.

"Takashi-sama and Kudo-sama asked me to do a job for them. I have just returned." The lie came easily. "Could you please take me to them?" he cocked his head to the side with the question, his white eyes wide and innocent.

Kim blinked and slowly nodded, as if sensing that something was off, but not quite knowing what. If he was suspicious he didn't show it; simply gave Neji a small smile and turned to lead him down the richly decorated hall.

The walls were a deep red, covered with expensive paintings framed with gold. It didn't look like a typical brothel, so finely furnished that it almost seemed like a hotel. Neji didn't even spare his surroundings a glance- he had walked through these halls enough times already. He had always hated the fake sense of wealth and elegance in a place used to sell sex to pitiful men and women.

Neji and Kim were silent the entire trip, no exchanged words or smiles. The young boy stared at his feet as he walked, not looking up once until he finally halted at the end of the long hallway.

"They're in here." Kim said, gesturing to two beautiful oak doors. Neji had to stop himself from sneering at the expensive wood.

He nodded instead and passed the boy swiftly, grasping a golden knob.

"Neji-san?" The Hyuuga paused and glanced at Kim over his shoulder, one eyebrow raised.

Kim was frowning, his eyebrows drawn together and a small pout on his lips.

"Where's Sasuke-san?"

Neji turned back to the doors and gripped the handles firmly.

"Don't worry about him." He said briskly. Then, more quietly, "Don't worry about him…" More to himself than Kim.

With that he pushed open the doors and slipped into the dark room, leaving the confused boy blinking in the blood red hallway.

The room was black, but Neji knew it was the same one he and Sasuke had first entered half a year ago. It was fitting, how it all started here and now was going to end here as well.

Takashi and Kudo were standing in the middle of the expensively furnished room. They must have been having an intense conversation, for their heads were close together and their bodies tense. Neji couldn't be sure though, for both men froze when they heard the door close. They peered into the shadows, but Neji was invisible against the darkness. The same trick they used on him and Sasuke- just this time he was the one in control. He could see them, but all they could feel was a whisper of a presence.

It made Neji's heart pound in anticipation and his lips stretch into a cruel smirk.

"Who's there?" Takashi demanded, facing the darkness with his head held high.

There was no answer. Takashi gritted his teeth, his hands clenching in frustration. Kudo stood stiffly by his side, his wide eyes scanning the room. Takashi turned to his companion, his mouth open to speak. But his words never left his dry, chapped lips. He made an odd choking sound- wet and sharp- and took one last gasping breath before slumping to the floor.

It happened so quickly that it took Kudo a few seconds to react. His hands flew to his suit jacket, pulling out two identical knives, their blades gleaming even in the dark of the room. He spun around on his heel, trying to see everything and anything all at once, but only succeeding in confusing himself more. Panic started to take over, even as he cursed himself for his weakness.

"Show yourself you fucking coward!" he yelled, banishing his weapons.

A low chuckle reached his ears and he froze, his whole body locked in place. Kudo was a statue as he felt a whisper of breath brush across the base of his neck.

"Who-"

"Please don't speak." The whisper came right by his ear as someone leaned forwards to press his body against the older man's. Neji chuckled; he could feel Kudo shaking. "Now," he continued after a moment's pause. "All I want are some answers to a few simple questions. Do you think you can do that for me?"

Kudo didn't respond. Neji trailed his hand up the man's back, brushing his fingers along the soft material of his suit before coming to a stop near his left shoulder blade, just behind his heart.

"And you better tell the truth." His eyes slid over to Takashi's motionless body. "Because all it takes is one little push," Neji pressed his hand more firmly against Kudo's back. "One little burst of chakra and I can stop your heart."

Kudo let out a low growl.

"You wouldn't kill me." He said. "You need me for information."

Neji laughed deeply.

"Oh, don't worry about that, Kudo-_sama_," he hissed out the honorific. "There are plenty of other people I could go to, I just like you the best."

He was bluffing- Neji knew that if this didn't work Sasuke would die, but ninjas were trained to lie, it was the base of their existence. And Neji would get what he came for, no matter what it took for Sasuke's life rode on the success of his mission.

Neji mentally shook himself and forced his mind back to the present, to this dark room, pressed up against this disgusting man.

"Now, are you ready to cooperate?" he murmured.

Kudo was silent, but Neji could hear the man's heart pound in his chest- the Hyuuga's own pulse was racing just as fast.

"Yes." Kudo finally bit out. Neji felt a surge of relief, but didn't show it.

He didn't waste time,

"The curse mark you put on Uchiha Sasuke's hip. I want you to tell me how to remove it."

He felt Kudo chuckle.

"Oh, so you've finally found that pretty little gift we gave your friend. It's quite something isn't it?" the man laughed again, this time harsher and it made Neji's stomach clench. "You know he thought that we would let you go if he agreed to it? Such a gullible, pathetic boy."

Neji's eyes narrowed dangerously and he unconsciously pushed his palm harder against Kudo's back in his anger. The older man fell silent as Neji let out a low, dangerous growl.

Neither spoke for a long time, a tableaux of violence. Finally, after several tense moments, Kudo shifted.

"The instructions to remove the seal is on this scroll." He said, slowly reaching into his jacket to produce the tightly bound object. He handed it back to Neji cautiously. "Simply follow the steps exactly."

Neji quickly slipped the scroll away, slightly suspicious.

"How do I know that you are not lying?" he hissed.

Kudo gave a low laugh.

"You and Uchiha Sasuke are far beyond our reach now. What could I possibly gain from lying to you?" he answered.

Neji was silent and found that he believed this man, though it wasn't because he trusted him. Kudo and Takashi were both greedy- the very personification of every dark trait of man. They would only manipulate and scheme if they could profit from it.

"Then I thank you for your cooperation." Neji whispered.

Chakra bled through his arm, out of his long fingers and into Kudo's heart. All it took was a single pulse of energy to stop its beating and the older man fell to the floor with a dull _thud._ Neji stepped away from the two bodies, melting back into the shadows. He secured the scroll to his belt and disappeared.

Neji's mind was plagued with doubt the whole trip home. He didn't dare stop for sleep, barely spared enough time to eat food that tasted like sand in his dry mouth. He knew it had been a great risk to kill both men without knowing if their scroll did hold the cure. But Neji couldn't bring himself to regret his decision. Out of all the missions he had ever been on, it had never felt so good to kill.

* * *

"_Neji, I'm full."_

_Sasuke watched impassively as the Hyuuga's white eyes narrowed. The long haired boy scowled at the younger, his hand still stretched out, bread held delicately between his fingers._

_"Sasuke," he said exasperatedly. "You must eat. Look how much weight you've lost." He eyed the Uchiha's small frame with furrowed brows._

_Sasuke ignored the other's words and rolled his eyes, crossing his arms over his chest._

"_I already ate enough food to feed a family of four, Hyuuga." He growled, clearly frustrated. "If I eat any more I'll hurl." _

_Neji's lips pressed into a thin line, but he let the subject drop, placing the bread back on his plate. _

_He and Sasuke had been traveling for nearly a week now. At first, the going had been slow, but as the time passed they slowly began to regain the ability to use their chakra more and more. Neji had kept the chakra rings, as much as he wanted to leave them to rot, but his decision proved to be useful when they made it to the first town. They were able to sell the rings for enough money to last them until they reached home._

_Now, they were just three days away from Konoha in a small town just off the main road. They agreed to rest there for the night and were currently in a small café under an inn. Neji was feeling better than he had for months, but he was worried about his younger companion. Though Sasuke was looking less pale, he still had not gained back his eyesight, even after so long without the chakra rings._

_Neji watched Sasuke as the Uchiha leaned back in his chair, his dark bangs falling away from his face. Neji's eyes traveled down from the silky black teresses to elegant brows, high cheekbones, full red lips-_

"_Stop staring at me."_

_Neji blinked, jerked out of his thoughts. He met Sasuke's narrowed gaze and gave a low chuckle. Sasuke frowned._

_"I may be blind but I'm not dumb." He said tonelessly._

_Neji laughed and reached across the table to brush a hand down the younger's pale face. He smiled as Sasuke's cheeks reddened._

"_I'm just enjoying the view, Uchiha." He teased._

_Sasuke gave a low growl and smacked Neji's hand away, his blush darkening. Neji laughed._

"_Stop being such a pervert." Sasuke said, crossing his arms definitely over his chest. _

_Neji leaned forward to rest his elbows on the table. _

"_Ah, Sasuke. You know I love you." He purred._

_The Uchiha froze for a moment, then scoffed._

"_Don't be stupid." _

_Neji raised a brow. _

"_It's a simple fact, Sasuke."_

"_Shut up." _

"_Heh. Are you embarrassed?"_

"_No."_

"_Oh? So you don't love me back?"_

"_I didn't say that."_

"_Oh, so you _do_ love me."_

"_Yes." Sasuke snapped his mouth shut, silently shocked at his own admission. He cursed himself for letting the other get such a reaction out of him. Neji's gaze softened as the Uchiha fidgeted in his seat. _

"_Good." _

**TBC

* * *

**I apologize for the very long wait. It appals me that it took me so long to get this chapter out. However, it is here and there is only one more chapter left. Thank you so much too all of you who have taken the time to read and review this story. Have a happy new year! 


	11. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

Neji had felt better and he knew for a fact that he had looked better. His hair was in disarray and his eyes were underlined by lack of sleep. His body almost refused to move but he still managed to drag himself into the hospital to Sasuke's room.

The Uchiha was surrounded by machines and people in white. Sasuke had never looked as fragile as he did then and it disturbed Neji to see it. He stood there in the doorway, torn between rushing over to his partner's side and giving the scroll to Tsunade, who was standing by Sasuke's bed, conversing with Shizune quietly. The Hokage felt his presence, and paused mid sentence to glance up at him. He must have looked like hell, for her eyes widened when she saw him.

The Hyuuga quickly tore his gaze from Sasuke and walked over to her, joints stiff and aching. He reached into his pocket and withdrew the scroll, such a tiny thing to have such an important life tied to it. Neji didn't dare open his mouth to speak; afraid that if he did the thin thread of control he was holding onto would break. Tsunade seemed to understand, accepting his silence as she accepted the scroll.

A thousand doubts plagued Neji's young mind- what if it was a fake? What if he had been lied to, right to the bitter end? It made him want to scream and cry and shout and just collapse into a miserable heap- and if he was any other person then maybe he would have given into the urge. But Neji was Neji, stubborn and proud and so very brave that even then he stood tall, even as his knees threatened to buckle under the stress.

Tsunade rolled the scroll open, scanning its contents with impassive amber eyes. Neji waited as patiently as he could. It took all his will not to ask her what it said. A couple agonizing minutes later, the Hokage looked up from the black writing and met Neji's white gaze. The small nod was all he needed to see before he collapsed into a crumpled heap on the ground.

* * *

Neji slowly blinked open his eyes, narrowing them as bright light hit his face. He turned his head to the open window, where it was a clear sunny day outside. He could hear the bustle of the busy streets as the market was flocked with people just a couple of blocks away. It took him a moment to remember where he was and why.

The Hyuuga bolted up in the bed he was lying in, immediately regretting the action as every muscle in his body seemed to scream in protest. He gave a small wince, but he silenced any pained groans that threatened to work its way up his throat. His hair was a loose, tangled mess about his shoulders that he brushed from his face impatiently. He glanced around the glaringly white hospital room, but it was empty.

Neji's heartbeat quickened. Was Sasuke in surgery? Was he okay? Was he going to live? The Hyuuga's hands clenched into fists on top of the blankets covering his legs. Was the scroll right after all? What if its treatment didn't work?

Neji couldn't stay there and wait. He was sick and tired of feeling like a helpless outsider. That was _Sasuke_ in there fighting for his life. _His_ Sasuke. The possessive thought crossed his mind before he realized what it meant, but he found that he wasn't surprised. Sasuke was his now, just as he was the Uchiha's. Six months ago, if someone had told him he would feel like this Neji would have laughed in their face, uncharacteristic or not. But now, after all they had been through, it seemed only natural that they would belong to each other. It was typical, Neji thought with a small sardonic smile, that it would take a mission like _that_ to show Konoha's two coldest shinobi that, yes, they _were_ able to love. And they did so passionately.

This silent acceptance made Neji even more impatient to see what was going on. He swung his legs over the side of the bed and shakily got to his feet, dully noting that he was still in his mission clothes. It seemed as if they were in too much of a hurry to bother to change him. That both relieved him and worried him. It meant that they immediately put Sasuke in surgery, but that also suggested that Sasuke was in far worse condition than Neji had feared.

The Hyuuga made his way carefully out of his room, his legs quickly finding their strength once again. He peered out into the hallway, but it was deserted. Neji muttered a curse and activated his Byakugan. It took a few precious moments of searching before he found them. They were crowded in a large room just down the hallway, nurses and doctors surrounding Tsunade and Shizune, who were leaning over a prone figure on the floor, the inky black of seals mapped out around him- Neji didn't even need to recognize the familiar chakra to know who it was. He was off down the hallway before the raised veins on his temples faded.

He stopped in front of a closed, metal door. A red light above it glowed brightly in the dull hallway, showing that a surgery was in process. Neji gritted his teeth and stood there, unmoving, trying to decide what to do. He wanted to badly to simply throw the door open and barge inside, to demand to see how Sasuke was doing. Was he going to live? Did Neji do the right thing by killing those men? Or was the Uchiha doomed because of Neji's impulsive anger?

He didn't know how long he stood there, rocking on the balls of his feet, nearly stepping forward more than once. But his hands remained clenched at his sides and he didn't move even though his heart screamed at him to do so. His mind, his logic, told him to wait. And, for the first time in a while, he listened to it.

It seemed like ages before the red light faded. Neji hadn't moved an inch during the whole time, only his pounding heartbeat his company. No one had passed him in the hallway. The rest of Sasuke's team must have been out on a mission or otherwise engaged for they were no where to be found.

Neji had drifted into a worried daze during his wait, but he snapped to attention the minute the door before him was pulled open. Tsunade staggered out, looking tired and much older than before. Her amber eyes betrayed nothing as she raised her gaze to meet Neji's. The Hyuuga tried to swallow past his dry throat, silently begging for the Hokage to speak.

Tsunade's eyes fell shut and she heaved a great sigh and it was as if a huge weight lifted from her shoulders.

"We were able to remove the seal." She said, a hand gliding up to brush her blond hair from her face. "The surgery was a success."

Neji almost didn't believe her and would have doubted the news if he hadn't heard her speak the words himself. His knees nearly buckled with relief and he was too overcome by emotion to be embarrassed as his eyes glazed over with tears.

* * *

Half an hour later, Neji was sitting by Sasuke's bed on a wooden stool that was much too uncomfortable to be anything but torture. He shifted restlessly every few moments, his eyes narrowed in annoyance as the hard flat surface dug into his behind. Tsunade had said that Sasuke should wake after a few hours and by then his eyesight would have already started to return.

Neji was impatient. The end was within sight. All he needed now was for Sasuke to open his dark, obsidian eyes and drawl a sarcastic remark and everything would be as it should be. So he braved the uncomfortable chair and held Sasuke's pale hand in his own, no matter how cheesy the action was.

Neji shifted again, his frown returning. Impatient or not, sitting on this stool was painful. It just added to his hope that Sasuke would wake soon.

"Can you not sit still for more than five seconds?"

Neji's eyes snapped up from where they had been staring blankly at the cotton hospital sheets. His breath caught in his throat as white met black for the first time in months. It took him a few moments to be able to speak around the lump in his throat.

"Sasuke?" he whispered and his voice sounded more horse than the Uchiha's.

The younger ninja's lips twitched into a small smile, his dark eyes drinking in the sight of his partner, memorizing every detail, every perfection, every fault.

"You look like shit." He finally said, his smile twisting into a smirk.

Neji was stunned into silence before he gave a loud, amused snort.

"Well, seeing as how I haven't slept properly for days, I would think that my appearance would be understandable." He said, not able to keep his own smile from forming. "Not like you're one to talk either, Uchiha."

Sasuke rolled his eyes and pulled Neji down so that the older was leaning over him, one hand pressing against the pillow beside Sasuke's head.

"Shut up and kiss me, you asshole." He growled.

And who was Neji to deny him?

Their lips met with the lazy affection of long, lost lovers, exploring as if they had all the time in the world. Their breaths mingled, their hands still twined tightly together, a personification of the bond they now shared. The soft touches and careful caresses expressed emotions that neither could put into words.

They pulled apart smiling, two of the coldest shinobi in the Fire country, lost in each other in a daze so thick one could choke on it. But they knew they deserved it, every single second of their love, and they both knew, as they laid there together on the flat, uncomfortable hospital bed, their legs tangled in the white sheets, that no matter how fucking cheesy or stupid or mushy it was, nothing could ever take it away from them.

* * *

_He stopped suddenly, his worn sandals skidding in the dirt. The scent of wet moss and dry leaves wafted up around him as the wind blew back his long hair from his sweaty face. He didn't seem to notice as his companion stumbled to a halt behind him, inches short of colliding._

"_Give me some warning next time." The other growled._

_But he ignored his partner, his ivory eyes locked on the wall towering over them, its long shadow covering them in a dark shade. _

_His companion shifted impatiently. _

"_Neji?"_

_The one in question let out a long sigh and allowed a small, relieved smile to grace his lips._

"_Sasuke…. We're home."_

**Fin**


End file.
